Imaginary Friends
by theangelCas
Summary: Dean Winchester only believes in what he can see with his own two eyes. That's why he knows that the Doctor must be real.
1. The Imaginary Friend

_**_**I'm already working on another fic right now, but this one had been nagging **__**at **__**me, and I just really wanted to write Dean as a little kid. If you guys like it, I'll keep going, albeit slower than I'd like. Otherwise, enjoy this short little fic!**_**_

* * *

When Dean was little, he had an imaginary friend. He had this big blue box that was smaller on the outside, and could go anywhere, (even to the future!) His dad insisted it wasn't true, and that he had to stop making stuff up, but Dean knew he had to be real.

Throughout his life, Dean would see this imaginary friend a great deal of times, but the first time he met him, Dean was just four years old.

He called himself the Doctor, but Dean had never met a doctor as nice as this one, and he had seen plenty of doctors, recently. He was going to have a little brother soon, and that meant Mommy had to talk to doctors all the time. They would say hi to Dean, and ask him about how excited he was for his little brother, but this doctor was different. He wanted to know about _Dean_.

Dean had gone grocery shopping with his mom that day. They were just going to get some stuff for dinner, but not long after entering the store, Dean was already getting bored. He was wandering around aimlessly, as little boys do. As he did so, his bright green eyes were drawn to a nearby shelf of superhero toys. His chubby fingers grasped at a Batman action figure that was just out of reach. He turned to ask his mom for help, but she wasn't behind him anymore. "Mommy?" He spun around the aisle, his eyes tearing up as he realized that she wasn't anywhere he could see. "Mommy!"

To a small child, losing your mother in a crowded place was one of the scariest things that you could imagine. Dean was about to break down right there, until a seemingly random adult took notice of the lost little boy. Neither man nor child had any idea what this chance encounter would eventually lead to.

"Well, hello there!" Dean turned to the friendly voice that seemed to be addressing him. "What's wrong? Are you looking for your mum?"

Dean looked up at the man. He wore a striped brown suit and bright red shoes. His hair was sticking up everywhere, and he talked funny. Dean knew he wasn't supposed to talk to strangers, but this was an emergency. He nodded slowly, wiping away the tears from his eyes.

The man smiled brightly. "It's okay. I'll help you find her." He held out his hand, but Dean hesitated. "Don't worry, you can trust me. I'm the Doctor."

Dean took the Doctor's hand and let him lead him through the store. He kept his head down, peering through his hair to look for his mom. The Doctor asked him about his mother- what did she look like, what was her name? Dean answered, but said nothing more. He was scared, and right now all he wanted was his mother.

"You have any siblings?" The Doctor asked the boy, hoping to keep his mind on something else.

That seemed to do the trick. Dean instantly brightened up a bit more, and held his head up a little higher. "Not yet. I'm gonna be a big brother," He grinned, proudly.

The Doctor couldn't help the smile that found its way to his face. "How exciting! Is it a boy or girl?"

"A boy," Dean replied. "When he's older, I'm gonna show 'em how to play catch and ev'rything!"

The Doctor smiled, but something hit him in that moment. He could sense something about this boy, something he hadn't sensed about anyone in a long, long time. He was going to be somebody one day- that was for sure. The Doctor knew all too well, however, that sometimes great people had to first be broken, and he didn't want to see this little boy go through that.

The Doctor listened to Dean ramble on about his little brother almost incoherently for a while. He glanced around, and noticed they were in the middle of the candy aisle. "Do you want anything?" He asked.

Dean looked up again, stopping his story for a moment to answer. "Mommy said I can't get any candy today." He explained.

"Don't worry, she doesn't have to know." The Doctor put his finger to his lips, promising not to tattle. "Go ahead—anything you want, I'll get you."

Dean thought that over for a moment, seeing how this was a big decision for him. He finally decided on a red lollipop from the top shelf. The Doctor grabbed it and pulled off the wrapper. He handed it to Dean, who accepted it gratefully. The Doctor was going to say something else, when he spotted something out of the corner of his eye.

"Is that her?" The Doctor pointed up to the counters, where a blonde, pregnant woman was talking frantically to a cashier.

Dean's head shot up, his eyes searching wildly. "Yes!" Dean exclaimed, dropping the lollipop onto the cold store floor, forgetting about it completely. "Mommy!" He barreled down the aisle and to the cash register.

His mother spun around, her eyes landing on her young son. "Dean! Sweetie! Thank God," Mary picked him up, as hard as it was for her to do at the moment, and hugged him tightly. "Don't you go wandering off like that again! You had me so worried!"

Dean glanced over at the candy aisle, but the Doctor was already gone. The red lollipop was still lying deserted on the floor.

Later, Dean would tell his mom all about the nice man who helped him find her, but despite his protests, she would hold that she never saw anyone in the aisle with him.

Dean soon forgot about his supposed imaginary friend- especially once the baby came. Sammy was so cute and small, and he made his mother happier than Dean had ever seen her. With all the commotion, Dean left the memory behind.

It would be a whole eight months before he saw the Doctor again.


	2. The Big Blue Box

The house was never quiet once Sammy was carried into it. Unless his brother was playing with him, or his mother was holding him, Sam was crying and screaming, and making all kinds of noise.

Dean's parents argued a lot, but for the most part his dad was either at work, out with his friends, or watching TV. His mother spent most of her time with the boys.

The house was always loud and full of life, until the fire.

After the fire, it was as if life itself had been sucked out of the house. John barely paid attention to the boys unless it was to feed them or put them to sleep. Dean stopped talking almost completely. Even baby Sammy seemed to sense that something terrible had happened, because he rarely cried anymore.

Dean's world had turned grey and bleak, and he was certain that the world would never be colorful again. But then, 2 months after the fire, Dean got a visit from someone he had almost forgotten about. Someone who would bring color back to his life.

* * *

John was passed out on the couch. It was only 6pm, but he had been drinking all day. Sam was napping in his crib after another day of playing with Dean, and only Dean.

Dean, who had taken to not talking, was sitting beside Sammy's crib in silence. He was holding a toy car that Sam had been chewing on before passing out. He ran his fingers along it, lazily. He couldn't stop thinking about his mom. He missed her so much, and he would have given _anything _to see her again.

Outside the window, he heard a strange whirling noise. It started out faint, but it got louder and louder. And then it stopped.

Curious, Dean stood and walked over to the window. He stood on his tip-toes and peaked over the windowsill.

The window looked out onto the backyard. There was an old, beat-up swing set, and the lawn hadn't been mowed in months. That was all normal—what wasn't normal, was the big blue box that had suddenly appeared.

Dean glanced over at Sam, who was sound asleep and looked peaceful. He ran out of the room, past his snoring father, and to the back door. He opened it slowly, and watched the box, quietly, from the doorway.

Suddenly, the box's doors flung open, and a blonde woman jumped out. She was wearing a faded striped t-shirt and jeans. She was laughing as she looked around. "Where are we?" She spoke with a weird accent, like the lady on the news that his dad always watched.

A man followed behind her. "It seems we're in somebody's yard," Dean's eyes widened as he recognized the man as the Doctor. He had almost forgotten all about the man that helped him find his mom, months ago. It seemed like much longer.

"You think they'll mind if we park here?" The blonde woman asked.

The Doctor laughed, and he opened his mouth to reply when something caught his eye. "Well, hello there. You must be the one who lives here," He saw Dean hiding behind the opened door. "Don't worry—we don't bite."

Dean stepped through the doorway, and onto the grass. He held his head down, and kept his hands together in front of him.

It was the Doctors turn to recognize him, now. "You're the boy from the store, aren't you? Dean, right?" Dean nodded. "Dean, this is Rose. Rose, Dean. I met him the other day. Well the other day to me- it may have been a while for Dean here."

The Doctor looked Dean over, and knew right away that something was different. He had only met him once, but that little ball of joy he met that day was not the same as the scared little boy standing in front of him, now.

"Hello, Dean," Rose smiled kindly and waved. Dean smiled back, shyly, but still kept quiet. Rose glanced at the Doctor, who shrugged.

"Are your parents' home?" The Doctor asked. He didn't expect the reaction he got- a pained expression spread across Dean's face. He poor kid looked like he was about to cry. The Doctor tried to make it easier for him.

"Your mom?" Dean shook his head. "Your dad?" Now he nodded. _Still not speaking..._

"May I meet him?"

Dean shook his head again. The Doctor frowned. "He busy?" A nod. "Working?" Nope... "Sleeping?" There we go.

"Well then, he wouldn't mind if you left for a moment, would he?" Rose offered before the Doctor could continue. The Doctor gave her a W_hat are you doing? _look. Rose raised her eyebrows as if to say _Trust me, __I know what I'm doing_.

Dean glanced behind him. He knew his dad wouldn't notice if he left, as long as he wasn't gone too long. And besides, he knew the Doctor—sorta. So he wasn't a stranger.

He shrugged.

Rose grinned. "I'll take that as a yes," She looked at the Doctor. "Where should we go?"

The Doctor thought for a moment. "I have a few ideas. Dean? You ready to see something amazing?"

* * *

Dean figured it was a bad idea as he followed them into the blue box. He knew that this was exactly the kind of situation he was supposed to avoid, but for whatever reason, he trusted the Doctor.

Nothing could have prepared him for stepping inside. Even if someone had told him exactly what to expect, he still would've been amazed. The box seemed small from the outside. It fit in the corner of his backyard. Yet, when he walked inside of it, he realized just how huge it was. It was like walking straight through the screen into a movie. "Whoa..."

The Doctor and Rose both grinned. "We finally got you talking!" The Doctor ruffled Dean's hair as he walked past the kid, who was frozen in place. Dean blushed.

"How?" Dean hadn't spoken in months, and his voice was rough with disuse.

Happy that Dean was talking, the Doctor replied, "It's magic!" This was what he loved. He loved seeing the wonder and amazement on people's faces as he showed them things they could only dream of.

Rose leaned on the console and watched Dean. He stared up in astonishment and slowly made his way over to them.

Dean felt exactly how he looked. He believed the Doctor when he said that this box was magic, because what else could it have been? He wished his mom was here to see it. She would have loved being in here. He could always show his dad, but John wouldn't have loved it quite as much as her. It wouldn't have been the same.

"You like it?" The Doctor ran his finger across the console as he thought about where to take him. _Somewhere amazing for a little boy…but safe._

Dean nodded. "I love it,"

"Just wait until you see what it can do,"

Dean's eyes widened with anticipation. "There's more?"

Rose watched with delight as the Doctor pulled levers and pressed buttons- she didn't really know what they did, but honestly she wasn't sure he did either.

"This, Dean, is a space ship. Like on TV," the Doctor explained. "It's my ship, and she's called the TARDIS. I can take her anywhere in the whole universe- even back or forward in time,"

"Really?" He had seen Star Trek with his dad, and while the show didn't interest him, he loved seeing the ship out in the stars. Dean reached out to touch the console. He was careful not to press anything, he just wanted to make sure it was real, and that this wasn't just a dream.

"Really."

Suddenly, the whirling sound came back, but it was much louder this time. Rose grabbed his hand just in time before the whole ship seemed to spin. Apparently, space travel was not very smooth.

When it finally stopped, Dean thought he was going to puke. But as soon as the Doctor opened the front door, any nausea he had felt left immediately. He didn't let go of Roses hand as she walked him over to the door. He stuck his head out in to space.

The TARDIS was floating in the middle of the stars. From here, Dean could see nothing but stars and planets as far as he could see. He thought he could see Earth, but it was far, far away.

The Doctor came up beside them. "Beautiful. It never gets old. It's amazing, isn't it?

Dean nodded. Everyone remained silent, perfectly willing to let Dean enjoy the view. Dean sat on the edge of the doorway, letting his feet hang out into the nothingness. He could imagine his mother sitting right beside him, resting his head on her arm as they watched the stars. "You said you can go anywhere, right?"

"That's' right."

"Can you go to Heaven?"

Neither the Doctor nor Rose was expecting that question. Caught off guard, the Doctor hesitated. "No, sorry," he glanced over at Rose, and their eyes met. "You know what, Dean? I think I have some cool alien ice cream in the fridge. You wanna check it out?"

Dean's eyes lit up. "Whoa! Alien ice cream?"

* * *

Over ice cream, the Doctor got Dean to tell him what happened while they were apart. Dean explained quietly about the fire two months ago, and how his mother didn't make it. It broke both his hearts to see the kid so sad. He was so bright and full of life before all this.

Rose was reluctant to send Dean back home, especially after hearing about his father, John. She wasn't sure the man was capable of taking care of two young children in his condition, after all that had happened, but the Doctor convinced her it was for the best. There are nothing else they could do but send the boy back home. It wasn't their decision to make, and they couldn't just kidnap the kid. Besides, the Doctor had a feeling he would never leave his little brother.

So instead, they landed the TARDIS in Dean's backyard, just a little more than a minute after they had left. "It'll be like you were never gone," Rose took his hand as she led him into the yard.

"I had so much fun," Dean thanked them. "Thanks for the ice cream,"

The Doctor crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame of the TARDIS. He was honestly worried about the kid. He had lost his mother at such a young age, and according to Dean's stories, his father wasn't exactly coping well. He knew that he would have to check up on him. He wasn't gonna just abandon the poor guy.

Dean let go of Rose's hand and spun around. He had gone from standing still and refusing to speak, to a bouncing ball of energy that couldn't say enough. "You wanna meet Sammy? He's sleeping, but he won't mind."

"Maybe some other time, Dean." The Doctor promised. "I don't know if your father would appreciate us barging in like that,"

He thought Dean would be disappointed, but instead he looked even happier. "So you're gonna come back?"

It was the Doctors turn to grin. "Of course we will. There's a whole universe full of adventures to have, Dean, and I couldn't imagine a better companion than yourself." That truly made Dean's face light up. He looked more like the boy he had met before, strolling through the grocery isle, rattling on about his baby brother.

They said their goodbyes. The Doctor and Rose went back onto the TARDIS, off on another adventure. Dean went back into his house and waited. He waited for Sammy to wake up, and for his dad to play catch with him again. He waited for his mother to walk through his front door one more time. And he waited for the Doctor to visit.

He started to speak again, and John didn't understand why. He told stories about his new friend, but they were ridiculous stories, which John chucked up to an overactive imagination.

Dean waited for a long time, but this time around, he never forgot the Doctor. He grew up on the road, with only his father and his brother. He learned about an entire new world he didn't know existed; one made up of monsters and ghosts. He learned how to hunt these things, all while taking care of his little brother. But through all of this, he kept the Doctor in the back of his mind. He did, after all, promise to be back for him. He promised him adventure.

The next time he saw the Doctor, Dean was 10 years old, although the Doctor had seen him several times since then. (Time travel can be quite confusing.)

This new Dean was much different. He had seen things that even the poor little boy in the backyard had never even dreamed of. He knew things about the world that no boy should ever have to know. And most importantly, he had a little brother he proclaimed he would die for—and, of course, he was right.

The Doctor recognized him instantly, but he didn't like what he saw.


	3. Hunters vs Aliens

Dean had been allowed on hunts for a few years by now, but nothing like _this _had ever happened before. His dad was hunting a particularly nasty spirit that took a liking to kids. Dean was just about the right age, so John was hesitant to bring him along, but he knew he needed backup, and Dean was a pretty decent hunter for his age, so he allowed him to come.

Dean was keeping watch while John dug up the grave. He had a shotgun full of rock salt in his hands, making him look even smaller than he was already. His eyes scanned the cemetery diligently, knowing fully well that his father's life may depend on him seeing the threat first. What he didn't stop to consider was that his life was in danger as well.

"Shh!" John shushed suddenly, gripping the shovel. He narrowed his eyes. "Did you hear that?" He whispered.

Just then, the spirit appeared behind Dean's small frame. "Dean! Behind you!" His father shouted, but not in time. The ghost threw Dean to the side and he landed eight feet away. His shoulder connected with a gravestone nearby, and Dean could hear the crack of the bone as he slumped onto the ground. He squirmed in pain, but struggled to keep conscious for his father's sake.

Meanwhile, John rushed to his own gun. He shot two rounds into the spirit. "Dean!" He yelled, not moving from his spot inside the grave. Dean did not answer his father's call, too engulfed in the pain shooting from his arm. "Hold on, buddy!" John went back to shoveling, much faster now. He quickly uncovered the coffin and poured the gasoline, dousing the wood.

Even with his best efforts, he wouldn't have been able to successfully salt and burn the body if it hadn't been for Dean. The spirit appeared behind him, just as he found his lighter, ready to attack. Dean, however, saw it right away. Bearing his teeth and fighting through the pain, he picked up his gun with his left arm and shot at it.

John lit the body, and the ghost appeared for one final time to go up in flames. As soon as he knew it was gone for good, John finally rushed to his son's side.

He drove him to the hospital, although Dean went unconscious long before he got there.

He had a broken arm and a fractured clavicle, but he would live. Dean knew that, and so did his father, who scolded him when he awoke for being negligent. Sam, however, was inconsolable when he ran into Dean's room. He flung himself on Dean, who didn't mention how much it hurt when he did so. It took an hour to convince his little brother that he was going to be okay. Eventually John insisted that Sam went home and let his brother rest.

It was right about that time that the Doctor found himself in the very same hospital, although not on purpose. He was older than the last time Dean saw him. He had been through a lot since then. He lost Rose, and even Martha left. But now he had Donna with him, whom he loved dearly- except at times like these.

"Oi, I _knew _this would happen," Donna rolled her eyes. She was sitting in the uncomfortable waiting room chair beside him. He had tripped over a fence, chasing an Ogron around town. Luckily, he didn't seem to be following a leader at the moment, which made him much less of a threat. Eventually they managed to lock him up in one of the TARDIS' many rooms for later, but not until after the Doctor fell. He seemed to have twisted his ankle, but if it wasn't for Donna he wouldn't have come at all.

"I'm fine. I don't need to see a doctor- I _am _a doctor," He sighed.

Donna was replying to his comment, but he was no longer listening. His attention was encompassed by a little boy and his father, who both looked strangely familiar. The boy was no older than 5 or 6, with short floppy hair. He was still dressed in what looked to be pajamas as if he had rushed out of the house in a hurry. His father towered over him. He was a large, burly man in a coat. The Doctor was not easily intimidated, but he would not want to piss off this man. He was surprised to see how tenderly he interacted with his son.

"Daddy we can't leave him. He'll be all alone," the boy whined in a high-pitched voice that was obviously not used to being denied.

"Sammy, your brother needs to rest. He's a big boy, he'll be fine," The man picked up the boy- Sammy- and carried him the rest of the way.

"But Dean's hurt and-"

_Dean! __T_he mention of Dean's name had the Doctor connecting all the dots. Those were the infamous Winchesters, alright. Sam was younger than the Doctor had ever seen him, but now it was clearly him. He had never met John, their father, but he had heard enough about the man.

"Doctor, are you even listening to me?" Donna snapped his attention back to her. "What are you off daydreaming about?"

The Doctor looked back at the Winchesters, who were already out the door. "I think there's an old friend of mine here," he explained.

Donna raised her brow. "An old friend? What kind of _old friend_?" She asked skeptically.

"The good kind," The Doctor assured her. "And _old _might be a bit misleading."

He stood, placing most of his weight on his right, uninjured leg. He heard Donna scolding him, but he didn't care. He knew he had to see Dean. "Well, come on, then! Let's get going!"

* * *

Dean was exhausted by the time Sam left, but he still wished his brother could've stayed. But he figured he had already pissed off his dad enough, and he didn't want to cause any more trouble by questioning his orders.

"Dean?" At first he thought it was a nurse calling his name, but before he even looked up to the source of the voice, he knew who it was.

"Doctor!" Dean exclaimed. It had been 6 years since he saw his friend. Things were certainly different now. "What are you doing here?"

The Doctor limped into the room. "Twisted my ankle, I think." He motioned to a red-haired woman that followed him in. "Dean, this is Donna. Donna, this is my old friend, Dean."

Donna smiled. "A little kid is not exactly what I expected, Doctor."

The Doctor just shrugged. His eyes fell to Dean's arm in a sling. "What happened to you?"

Dean's eyes averted his. "Broke it. I was being stupid and fell."

The Doctor knew instantly that he was lying, but didn't say anything. _Why would he lie? _The image of John flashed into his mind. _No...I've heard some bad stuff about the guy, but nothing like this, _He decided to question him about it later.

The Doctor sat down beside Dean's bed, and motioned for Donna to do the same. Donna rolled her eyes but brought up a chair anyway. "So Dean- how old are you now?"

"I'm turning eleven soon," Dean answered.

"Wow, you're pretty old, huh?" Donna smiled, obviously not knowing how to interact with children. Dean would usually say something sarcastic, but Donna was nice and pretty, and more importantly, a friend of the Doctor, so he stayed silent.

Instead, he focused his attention on the Doctor. "You know, when you said you'd be back, I didn't think you'd take six years."

The Doctors eyes were apologetic. "Sorry- time travel, ya know? I've seen you several times recently- you've just been much older. But six years... that meant you were four, and I took you out for ice cream, right?

Dean grinned. "Yeah, that's it. That means I'll see you again? Awesome." Dean closed his eyes. "I can still remember being out in space. It was so awesome." He opened them again. "Can we go back? In your... tar-dice thing?"

"Sure, sometime," the Doctor promised. "Wherever you want to go. You can see the distant civilizations of an entire new galaxy, or stay close to home and visit the ancient Romans. It's up to you. But right now, you should rest your arm, right?"

Dean sighed, but realized a compromise when he saw one. He wondered if the Doctor had any kids- he would certainly make a good dad. "Is your name really just 'The Doctor?'"

"Yup,"

"Are you a doctor, then?"

"Not exactly," The Doctor grinned mischievously. It was interesting to see Dean at different points in his life. He was always so different. But this Dean- this young, curious kid who was still full of adventure was his favorite so far.

"Well, while you boys bond, or whatever it is you're doing, I'm going to get some tea. Do you even have tea in America?" Donna laughed. "Do either of you want something?"

"Some pie?" Dean jumped at the opportunity for some real food.

When Donna left, the Doctor turned back to Dean. "How did you say you broke your arm?"

Dean shifted awkwardly. What was he supposed to tell the Doctor? That a ghost threw him across a graveyard? "I tripped and fell, that's all,"

"Come on, Dean, you can trust me," the Doctor cooed.

Dean pursed his lips and looked down at his hands. "You said you met me in the future, right? Well, did I say anything about...hunting...?"

The Doctor narrowed his eyes, and then realization came crashing down. "You got hurt hunting? But...you're only ten!" He knew that _adult _Dean was a hunter, but he didn't realize how early he had started with his overly dangerous profession.

"That's old enough," Dean protested. "I'm a good hunter! I mean, this time I got hurt, but that comes with the job."

The Doctor held his hand to his face for a moment, closing his eyes. This sounded just like the Dean he met last time. He had hoped that younger Dean was different, but he hadn't realized just how deep Dean's wounds went. "Dean..."

Dean sighed. He didn't want to lose the Doctor as a friend just because of his job. He had waited for him to return for so long, and now that he was here, Dean was already disappointing him. "Doctor, please," Dean Winchester did _not _beg, and that _certainly _was not what he was doing now. "I'm okay, I promise."

The Doctor nodded, and stared at the poor boy. He shouldn't be getting upset with him- this wasn't his fault. It wasn't his choice to get into hunting so young, it was his fathers.

He suddenly had the urge to do something he had done many times before. He wanted to ask Dean to come with him and Donna, to be his new companion. The Doctor knew there could be consequences, since he had already met future Dean, and that had never happened. Taking him with him now would mean altering both of their time-lines, but it would be worth it, right?

Donna suddenly came through the door. She held a cup of coffee in one hand, and a paper box in the other. "No tea, unfortunately," She frowned. She had obviously walked in on a _moment _between the two. _Oh well, too late now. _"Here you are, Dean. I hope you like cherry!"

Dean accepted the box with his good hand, excitedly. "Thank you!"

The Doctor leaned back in his chair to think. He had seen what the future had in store for Dean, and it wasn't pretty. He would never get the easy life he deserved, no matter how hard he or his brother tried. Would it really be against the rules for him to help the poor kid? How could that be? He was a Time Lord, for god's sake. All of this power and he couldn't do anything.

Dean devoured the pie while he listened to Donna talk, and boy, did she have a lot to talk about. They had just gotten back from the Planet of the Ood, and Dean was enjoying every detail about another alien race..

"And this _Dumbo _over here just had to go trip over his own feet. You'd think a Time Lord would be a bit more coordinated than that." Donna laughed.

"Wait, what? A Time Lord?" Dean finished his plate, and put it on the side table. "What's a Time Lord?"

Donna shot the Doctor a look. "I thought you said he was a friend of yours- and you didn't even tell him you're not human?"

_Not human? _Dean stared warily at the Doctor. The little boy in him was more curious than anything, but the hunter side of him was immediately suspicious. Dean _hunted _things that weren't human- shoot first, ask questions later. But this was the Doctor- he was a friend. Certainty he couldn't be dangerous.

The Doctor looked apologetically at Donna. Honestly, he didn't know what Dean knew about him. He knew more things about Dean than Dean even knew, so it was always possible that Dean would know more about the Doctor at some point.

"Sorry, Dean. It's...complicated." he could see the suspicion in Deans eyes, and for a moment he was almost scared. He was scared about the person Dean was. Sure, the Doctor had seen him as a little kid, but he was innocent then. And he had met him as an adult, but that was long after the influence of his father had started to fade. This Dean was still not done growing yet, in any sense of the word. Who knew... he could be dangerous. "I'm not a monster, first of all. I'm an alien- from the planet Galifrey."

Dean tilted his head. "But you look...human."

The Doctor smiled softly and put his hands to his chest. "Two hearts. Otherwise, we're quite similar. Although we came first, so technically, _you_ look like a Time Lord."

Dean thought for a moment. _He's practically human… _Dean told himself. He knew his dad would disagree, but—_Dad… _Dean could _not _tell John about the Doctor. He would realize right away that there was something off about him, and he'd probably try and kill him. _Besides... I already tried telling him and he didn't believe me. _"Can I see it?"

"See what?"

"Your planet. Gali- whatever. Can I see it?" Whatever his hunter instincts were trying to tell him, his curiosity had been sparked and it would not die down. He trusted the Doctor, even if he wasn't human.

The Doctor stiffened. "No. It's...it's gone." Donna put her hand reassuringly on his shoulder.

Dean nodded. He didn't ask anymore. He knew how the Doctor felt. He had lost his home, too. "What _can _I see?" He asked in an attempt to change the subject.

The Doctor recognized Dean's want to travel. He could almost _feel _his curiosity from here. He, like all of his companions, had the desire to see the universe.

"Almost anywhere else." Donna answered for him. The Doctor shrugged in agreement.

Dean thought for a moment. "Another planet. In a whole 'nother galaxy!" He said excitedly. He had to stop himself from screaming with delight when the Doctor agreed.

"You wanna go now?" He asked.

Dean practically jumped out of bed. "Let me get my clothes."


	4. Wild Adventure

_Somewhere fun...but safe. _Dean looked like he would have preferred some alien planet during its own civil war, but the Doctor knew his leg and Dean's arm wouldn't allow for anything too dangerous. Instead, he took Dean somewhere simple, yet exciting to a new time traveler—future Earth.

Dean followed the limping Doctor and Donna into the TARDIS. It had been a while since he had been inside the ship, but it was exactly how he remembered it from when he was a kid. He still wasn't used to the feeling he got when he walked inside the tiny box and into the massive ship. "This is just as amazing as I remember it," Dean couldn't, and didn't want to, hold back his excitement.

The Doctor grinned, leaning against the console with his good leg. "Just wait. You've seen her travel through space, but not time, yet."

"Awesome," Dean's eyes glowed.

Donna rolled her eyes, even though she, too, was secretly excited as well. She'd never get bored of the Doctor and his adventures. She could do this for the rest of her life—and she certainly planned to. "Where are we off too, Doctor?"

"The future," was all he said. Dean stood beside the Doctor, watching him mess with the TARDIS' controls, inventively. As he watched, he thought maybe he could learn how to control her sometime, and go wherever he wanted. He thought he would be free when he got the Impala from his dad, but it wasn't until now that Dean knew what true freedom looked like.

Because really, having the open road to yourself was quite thrilling. But nothing could beat having the whole universe at your feet in just seconds. Imagine the people he could meet, the landscapes he could see. Imagine what he could show Sammy.

Dean heard the whirling sound. He grabbed onto the console with his good hand, hoping that was enough, after his last trip.

Luckily, it was, and as the TARDIS flew off, Dean imagined it flying through the stars. The blue wooden box swerving through asteroids and planets, being dwarfed by the passing suns. He closed his eyes and imagined until he felt the floor below him come to a stop.

"Ready?" The Doctor asked. Dean nodded furiously. The Doctor limped over to the front doors and waited a moment for dramatic effect before swinging them open.

* * *

Dean peered through the doors, expecting to see some Star Trek-like world. Everything would be clean and white and mechanical- robots would be roaming the metallic streets.

However, he didn't expect to see wooden building and dirt roads. "Uh, Doc? Does the Wild West make a comeback anytime soon? 'Cause this isn't exactly what I expected from the future."

The Doctor frowned in confusion. He went back over to the console. "It appears the TARDIS had other plans. She brought us _back _in time." _But why here? Why now?_

"The TARDIS can do that? Make it's own decisions like that?" The Doctor nodded. Dean thought for a moment and then shrugged. Future or past—either way—it was pretty awesome. "Whatever. Let's go!"

Donna followed the Doctor out closely. When she figured Dean couldn't hear, she asked, "Doctor, why'd the TARDIS bring us here? Is there trouble?"

The Doctor sighed. "I don't know, but I hope not."

In all his excitement, Dean barely even felt the pain in his arm anymore. The sling kept it close to his body in a weird position, but otherwise he probably wouldn't even have remembered it was broken. He walked ahead of the other two, who were trying to keep up. They were much more wary then he was, and were on high alert. Even so, it was Dean who spoke up first. "This place is empty," he turned to them.

They had landed in the middle of some old western town. There were several buildings surrounding them, but no people in sight. He actually saw a tumbleweed roll by. Dean's hunter instincts suddenly clicked into gear. Something was up.

The Doctor recognized a shift in Dean's demeanor. "Yeah, you're right. Something's not right." He stopped and held his hand out toward Dean, who was quite a few feet ahead. "Come on. We should go back. I don't like the looks of this place."

Dean was about to protest when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Something between the buildings had moved. He turned to it, but there was no one there. The only thing there was a creepy statue. It seemed out of place, standing beside what looked to be a run-down saloon—_Right out of a western movie… _Dean smiled to himself.

"What is it?" The Doctor saw Dean stop and stare somewhere he couldn't see.

"Nothin'," Dean muttered, shaking his head. "Just thought I saw something."

"What did you see?" Donna could tell that the Doctor wanted to leave right away, but what if someone was in danger?

"Well, I thought I saw something move," Dean explained. He turned back to the Doctor and Donna. "But it was nothing. I'm probably just still spooked after my last hunt," He looked down at his arm. He glanced momentarily at the buildings again, and then did a double take. Did_ that statue move? _He could have sworn that it was closer now than before. But that was crazy...right?

The Doctor sighed and limped to Dean to see what he was so interested in. Dean shifted slightly away as he got close. "It's nothing- let's just go."

It was too late, though, because right then the Doctor saw it. An old statue of an angel, holding its hands to its face. _Oh no… _"That's not nothing, Dean." The Doctor grabbed his good arm and pulled him with him. "That's bad—very bad."

"What is it? Doctor?" Dean allowed himself to be dragged away.

"It's a weeping angel. We need to get out of here. Now."

"Doctor-" Donna turned to leave with them, but something stopped her in her tracks.

The Doctor looked up at her, and saw what it was. In between the three of them and where the TARDIS was parked, was another weeping angel.

Dean gaped at the statue. It looked just like the other one, except this one wasn't covering its face. Its arms were outstretched towards them, and its face was frozen in a scream. He moved closer to the Doctor, trying to make himself smaller. "Doctor, what's a weeping angel?"

"It can only move when no one's looking at it. But they're fast—very fast. And if they get you..." his voice trailed off. This was not the first time he had dealt with these things, and he wanted nothing more than to get back to his ship, but now this bloody angel had blocked them. "Keep your eyes on it. Dean, look behind us and see if the other one followed us." He hoped that they could just sneak around it.

Dean nodded and turned. As he figured, the other angel wasn't far behind them anymore. "It's close," The Doctor had finally let go of his arm, but Dean stayed right beside him. "We just have to keep staring at them, right? You guys take that one, and I'll get this one. We can just keep them locked in place and while we make a run for it."

The Doctor was impressed with Dean's plan, since it was basically the same as his. The kid could think on his feet. It was a good characteristic for a companion. "Solid plan, Dean. Just remember—don't blink."


	5. Blink

**_Sorry for the wait. My computer had a virus on it, and I had to wipe my whole computer! I don't even have MS Word anymore, so I'm using WordPad for the time being. Hopefully I'll be quicker with the next update. Thank you to those still reading! Please follow/favorite/review!_**

* * *

"Donna, you ready?"

Donna swallowed hard. "I guess so." She hadn't dealt with these angels personally, but she had heard about them plenty. She did not want to be messing with them.

The Doctor tapped on Dean's shoulder and began walking forward. He kept his eyes on the angel, and hoped that Donna was as well, because eventually he was going to have to blink. It was then that he realized that Dean was handling the other one all by himself, which was _not_ an easy task. "Dean, are you okay? Your eyes watering yet?" He asked worriedly. Not only was he worried for Dean's sake, but for the sake of the whole group. If just one of them messed up, they were all dead.

"I'm good, Doc. I've won loads of blinking contests with Sammy." He grinned, knowing no one else could see him. His eyes _were_ starting to bother him, but he would _have _to be okay. They still had a while to go.

After they rounded past the first angel, things got a lot easier. Now, as long as they could walk backwards, they could all keep an eye on both of the angels, together. They each took turns blinking.

"Almost there, guys. You're doing well." The Doctor hoped he sounded reassuring. They just had to keep this up until they reached the TARDIS- however far back that was. He was too afraid to turn around yet.

The one angel Dean had been watching was pretty far away now, and it was getting harder to see. He hoped they hadn't wandered _that_ far from the TARDIS.

Suddenly, Dean heard something behind him. "Did you hear that?"

The Doctor tensed up beside him. "We've got these. Go ahead and look."

Dean gulped and turned around. He had to catch himself from screaming when he saw an extended stone hand clamping onto his shirt. He froze, staring up at the snarling angel. _If I had looked just a second later..._

"Dean?" Donna called. "Are you alright?"

"T-t-there's another one. It...it has my shirt." He stuttered slightly. Dean picked up his left hand and tried to pry his shirt from its grasp. _Damn..._The stone was too strong, and he couldn't get his shirt out without ripping it. Unfortunately, that was hard to do with just one working hand.

"Are you okay?" The Doctor stopped, still staring at the not-so-weeping angel, but putting his hand out toward Dean. "Do you need help?"

Dean didn't_want_to ask for help, but he realized he'd probably need it. "I can't get my shirt out, and I can't rip it with just the one hand. I need a knife or something, but I left mine at the hospital."

The Doctor tried not to consider _why_ Dean had knives at the hospital with him. "I don't carry one either..." He thought for a moment. "Can you turn your head enough to see the angel I've been watching on the left?"

Dean considered this. He couldn't test it out without looking away from this angel, so there was no way of knowing. He'd just have to hope for the best. "Yeah, no problem," He lied.

"Okay, well I'm going to turn and look and the angel that has you. As soon as I do, but NOT even a _second_before, you have to turn to see the other one while I free you. Okay?"

Dean swallowed hard again. "Yeah okay. Doctor? Uh... What exactly happens if the angels get you?"

"They send you back in time, and feed off of your time energy,"

Dean decided to pretend that made any sense. "That doesn't sound too bad. You have a time machine; you can come get me, right?"

The Doctor sighed. "No, I'm sorry, Dean. It doesn't work that way, it's...complicated."

"Is that what happened to this town?"

"Probably."

Dean tugged one last time at his shirt, but he knew it was useless. "Alright. Let's just do this." He said finally.

"I'm going to count. Ready? One...two...three!" The Doctor turned and laid his eyes on the angel that grabbed Dean. He shuddered when he realized just how close it was to getting him. He really hated these damn angels. He saw Dean swing his head around. Albeit struggling, he seemed to have caught sight of the other angel.

"Hurry, Doctor! I can't stay like this forever." Donna called. Her eyes were watering and she knew she was gonna have to blink soon.

The Doctor clutched onto Deans shirt, and while keeping the angel in his sight, he ripped the fabric until Dean was free.

Dean had been leaning back to keep his eyes on the third angel. It had worked – sort of - until he was released. As soon as the angel had stopped holding him up, gravity took over and he tumbled onto the ground. "Ow!" He fell directly onto his already broken arm, causing serious pain to shoot up through the limb.

"Dean?" The Doctor exclaimed. He couldn't look away from the angel or else it would certainly get to either him or Dean. "Dean are you okay?"

Dean groaned. "Yeah," he tried to get the word out, but it ended up more of a moan. He glanced up from the ground, and found the angel again. It was much closer this time, but not close enough to get to them. "I'm sorry. I fell on my arm." He explained once he could speak properly.

"Doctor, we need to go. The TARDIS is just a few meters away. I say we just run for it." Donna advised. She couldn't see exactly what was happening, but she knew that they had to go soon.

The Doctor clenched his jaw. Donna was right, as always. They could probably make it if they just ran like hell. However, he wasn't sure if he could do it on his leg - but he would certainly try.

"Okay, Dean. I need you to stand up, and get ready to run. Can you do that?"

"Mm hmm..." Keeping his eyes on the angel, he hoisted himself off the ground. He bit his bottom lip, trying not to cry out in pain at his arm. It hurt almost as badly as when he first broke it. "Alright, I'm ready."

"Donna?"

"Ready as ever, Doctor."

"GO!"

The Doctor, Donna, and Dean dashed toward the TARDIS. The Doctor was having trouble keeping up, so he threw Donna the key. As soon as she got to the door, she unlocked it and turned around. She spotted all three of the angels behind the others. As long as she held their gaze, the other two would be fine.

Dean was right behind her. "Doctor! Hurry!"

The Doctor was just a few feet away when he tripped, again, and fell face first. Dean rushed over and grabbed him with his left arm. "Come on, Doctor. Are you okay?" He helped him stand up again, and pulled him back into the TARDIS. "Close the door, Donna!" He called once they were safely inside.

Donna slammed the TARDIS doors shut and was finally able to take a sigh of relief. She closed her eyes, enjoying every second of it. "You boys okay?"

Dean nodded, although his arm hurt like hell. "Doc?"

"I'm fine." The Doctor stood up and leaned against the side of the TARDIS for support. "How is your arm?"

"Peachy," Dean ground out. He focused on breathing evenly, rather than the pain radiating through his arm.

"Sorry this little trip didn't go quite as planned..." The Doctor apologized, walking over to Dean. He put his arm around his shoulders. Older Dean would've shrugged him off immediately, but this Dean was still a kid. He needed that touch, that reassurance. Adult Dean did too, he just didn't realize it.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I'm just happy to be out of that hospital." Dean wasn't lying. Sure, all they really did was get chased by some statues, but it was kinda fun. It was like he was hunting, and Dean loved hunting. _Speaking of hunting..._ "Shouldn't we... I don't know...do something about those things? The town either all died or ran away - can you even kill weeping angels?"

The Doctor smiled. "I figured you'd ask. Yes, Donna and I will worry about them. You, on the other hand, should be getting back home."

"But we just left!" Dean argued, finally sounding like the ten year old he was. "Come on, Doctor, we gotta do _something_ fun! It's not like this was much of a good time! You owe me."

The Doctor sighed. Again, he considered having Dean stay with him. "Why don't we just relax for now? You want something to eat?"

"Yeah, sure," Dean agreed, less enthusiastically. He recognized how the Doctor was changing the subject. His dad did that all the time.

"The kitchen's down the hall four doors on the left," the Doctor explained. "Feel free to have whatever you want."

Dean left, leaving the Doctor and Donna alone. "What are you thinkin' about, Doctor?" Donna asked once Dean left earshot.

"He should stay with us." He said, simply. "He'd love it. He could go wherever he wanted. He could see the stars! He loves to help people, Donna. He'd do great with us..."

Donna's face softened. "Doctor, he's just a kid. He's got a family..."

"You haven't seen it, Donna." The Doctor argued. "You haven't seen what he's destined to be." Images of Dean's lifeless body flashed before him. He had seen what would happen if Dean stayed in the hunting life. Donna couldn't possibly understand...

"Doctor... You can't change his timeline. You know that." Donna's voice was quiet and sad. She wanted to help the kid too - he seemed so sweet and kind. She would love to have him along, but they just couldn't do that.

"I know, but-" The Doctor cut himself off when Dean walked back into the room. He had a half-eaten sandwich in one hand and an orange soda hanging limply in the other.

"Man, you guys got everything here!" He smiled, taking a bite out of the sandwich.

"Dean... I have something to ask you." The Doctor waved him over. Dean was not hesitant to oblige. "You want to travel around with us, don't you?"

"Yeah, course. Who wouldn't? This place is amazing."

"Then you should," The Doctor continued. "You should come with us."

Dean's face changed from a smile to something the Doctor couldn't quite place. It seemed like Dean suddenly put up a barrier and hid his emotions, just like that. "You mean, like, permanently? Like Donna?"

"Yes, like Donna. And Rose - you remember Rose?"

Dean bit his lip as he listened. He thought about the Doctors offer - which was really everything. He wanted to say yes. He wanted to run off with the Doctor and his ship, and not have to worry about monsters anymore. Besides, there were alien monsters too - like the angels. He could still help people, just not from his time, or even his planet.

But, as they usually did, his thoughts traveled back to his family. How would his dad react if he just disappeared from the hospital and never came back? What would he do with Sammy when he went out hunting? Sammy didn't even _know_ about the supernatural yet. How was he supposed to take care of himself when his dad went off who knows where?

He considered for a moment that Sam could come with him and the Doctor. But Sam was too little for stuff like this- and that would be leaving his dad all alone. _No_, he decided, _I couldn't do that_. "I'm sorry, Doctor, but I can't. I can't leave Sammy, or my dad."

The Doctor sighed. "Dean..."

"I would really love to, you know that..." Dean continued when he saw the Doctor's hesitation. "But my family needs me."

The Doctor nodded, and smiled as much as he could. Dean sure was different... but some things never change. "I understand. You need to do what you need to do." He put his hand on Dean's shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. "Anywho - lets go somewhere exciting, huh? Anyone you ever wanted to meet?"

Dean thought back to history class, but he never really liked history. He did read a lot though. "Vonnegut?"

The Doctor grinned. This kid was smarter than he let on. "Alrighty then! _Allons y_!"


	6. Years Pass

**_Sorry for this taking so long! It's summer now and it's hard to get back into writing regularly. Thank you for hanging in there!_**

**_EDIT: It has come to my attention that I did some math wrong on this chapter, but it is fixed now. I also changed Sam's eye color to "hazel" rather than brown. (I have never really cared about the difference between the two, and I probably never will, but if you're adamant about it, I don't mind changing it.)_**

* * *

After their trip to meet Vonnegut, the Doctor dropped Dean back off at the hospital. The kid was less than pleased to be back, but he was in a good mood nonetheless. He had a lot of fun, and made a promise to himself to read more when he could.

The Doctor had really wished that Dean had accepted his offer about traveling with him, but deep down he knew it was for the best he didn't. Well, not for Dean's best, but for everyone else's. Who knows what would have happened if they changed the timeline. Unfortunately, the Doctor knew that this would not be the first, or the last, time that Dean's needs were put second...or third, or fourth...

Dean was back in bed at the hospital before the nurses even noticed his absence. He stayed overnight and was allowed to go home with strict instructions to keep his cast on at all times and to not stress it.

The Doctor and Donna went to visit Dean before he went home, officially. They waited outside the room while his dad and brother were in there. They sat on adjacent chairs across the hall. Dean had told them not to let John know about their presence - and certainly not their time with Dean.

That, of course, worried them both, but they had promised. So they waited for John and Sam to leave.

They had only arrived 5 minutes before they heard yelling from the room across the hall. It was obviously John's voice, but they couldn't make out what he was saying. Suddenly, the door to the room swung open, and a red faced John stomped out, with little Sam trailing behind him. He didn't even look over at the two of them as he marched by. Sam, however, turned to the Doctor and smiled, shyly. The Doctor smiled back.

When they had cleared the hallway, Donna and the Doctor stood up simultaneously and went to Dean's room. Dean was fully dressed and sitting at the edge of his bed. His cast was on his right arm, and he was holding it close to his body. He was looking at the floor when they entered, but as soon as he heard them, he looked up.

Dean's face was red and puffy, and tear stains rolled down his cheeks. When he saw who was at the door, he immediately wiped his eyes with his good hand, and looked away. "Hey, guys. I didn't know you were waiting already..."

"Are you okay? What happened?" Donna sunk into the bed beside him. She wrapped her arm around him, but he pulled away.

"Nothing. I'm leaving soon. My dad's just gone to fill out the paperwork so I can go." Dean glanced back up, his face no longer wet, and the color leaving it.

"We heard yelling," The Doctor commented.

Dean sighed. "We were... arguing… I guess..." He looked like he was done, but suddenly his face fell again, and he continued, softer now. "I don't think he thinks I'm a good hunter anymore. After this-" he pointed broken arm, "He probably thinks I'm not fit to be one. He... he wants me to start showing Sam how to shoot a gun and stuff like that." He closed his eyes, and tears began to fall again. "Sammy doesn't even know what I know, yet. I don't want him to..."

The Doctor's heart broke as Dean spoke, and he finally understood why Dean had to say no. Sure, Dean had said he couldn't leave Sam, but only now did the Doctor realize what leaving would truly mean for both brothers. "Dean..."

Dean sensed the pity in his voice, and could hear the cracking in his own, and he hated it. "It's fine. I'm fine," He wiped his tears and tried to calm down. He felt like a baby, crying in front of them. He couldn't be a baby - he was ten years old, and he was a big brother. He had to be more grown up for him. "So, anyway...where are you guys going now?"

Donna and the Doctor exchanged a glance, but mutually decided to play along. "Well, we've got to go and do something about those angels," Donna answered. "And then, who knows," she glanced at the Doctor. "Somewhere there's trouble, most likely."

Dean grinned. "Yeah, of course. We're both monster-magnets, huh, Doc?"

"It would seem so," The Doctor replied.

Afterwards, Donna and the Doctor left Dean to go with his family. Dean hoped that he would return soon, but, being the Doctor, he did not.

It was an entire six years before he would see the Doctor again. While he had never given up hope that he would see his "imaginary friend" again, he had a lot on his mind during those years, so he didn't think about him, much.

Sam, by then, had been helping with hunts for years. Dean was grateful for the fact that he had mostly been on research-duty, and their dad rarely let him help out "in the field."

His little innocent baby brother was now a full-blown teenager. He was rebellious, didn't listen, and most of all, he did _not_ want to hunt. He just wanted to be normal. And it was him who the Doctor first saw on his visit.

The Doctor was older now. He was alone. He had just recently lost Donna, and he was in a bad place.

The Doctor never knew where he would run into the Winchesters. They moved around almost as much as he did. The TARDIS had brought him to Pawtucket, Massachusetts, and he had no idea why. Even so, he knew there had to be a reason- the TARDIS always had a reason.

He wandered around town, aimlessly. He kept his eye out for anything out of the ordinary, but so far had found nothing. Eventually, as one usually does, he found himself at the library, where he accidentally bumped into a tall, awkward boy of about 12 with shaggy hair and hazel eyes.


	7. Home Sweet Home

When the two crossed paths, they literally crossed. Neither looking where they were walking, they collided into each other, sending books flying to the ground. "Sorry," the boy mumbled without even looking up. He bent down to pick up his books from the floor.

"No, no, it was my fault," The Doctor helped collect the books, standing back up to hand them to the kid. When he did so, he finally got a look at the boy's face - and he recognized him instantly. Before he could stop himself, he asked, "Are you Sam? Sam Winchester?"

Sam's eyes widened as he gave the Doctor a one-over. "Depends. Who are you?" Sam didn't recognize the man, but it was possible he was a "friend" of his fathers. He tended to not pay much attention to them. At the same time, he knew to keep his guard up - just as Dean taught him.

"I'm the Doctor. It's nice to meet you, Sam." The Doctor stuck out his hand for a shake, and Sam hesitantly obliged. He had already met Sam plenty of times, but it seemed Sam had not yet met him. "I'm a friend of your brothers."

_One of Dean's friends... figures he'd be a weirdo_. "You're a friend of Dean's? He never mentioned you." He asked skeptically. This guy was more like John's age than Dean's. It was possible he was a hunter, but Sam couldn't be sure.

"I'm not surprised. I haven't seen him in a while." The Doctor explained. He could tell Sam was wary of him, but he couldn't blame him. He was, after all, a stranger to him. "If he's in town, I'd love to see him."

Sam bit his lip, a nervous habit, as he considered the Doctor's offer. Dean didn't have many friends, so if this guy was legit, Dean _would_ want to see him. On the other hand, he could be some crazy axe murderer or a demented monster. "Well, Dean's picking me up soon. I guess you could come outside and wait with me."

The Doctor grinned. "Fantastic. You need help carrying those?" Sam nodded, figuring it couldn't hurt, and handed the top few books to him. As they walked outside, the Doctor read through some of the titles. "_Myths and Legends of the Ancient Greeks_?" He read aloud. "_Biblical Demons and Plagues_? Is this normal reading for you Americans?"

Sam's face went red. "Oh...no. Those are for... a school thing." He stammered.

The Doctor chuckled. "Don't worry. I know all about the... family business."

"What? Are you a hunter?" Their dad wouldn't let them tell anyone about what they did - especially friends. Sam couldn't believe that his brother, who took his father's word as gospel, would have disobeyed him like that. He must have been a hunter.

Surprisingly, the Doctor shook his head. He explained, "You're brother helped me out with a... ghost problem." It wasn't technically a lie, even though it hadn't actually happened yet for Dean. But that was beside the point.

"What did you say your name was, again?"

"Just call me the Doctor."

"Are you an actual doctor?"

"Not exactly."

They both heard a loud car horn as a black, '67 Chevy Impala rolled into the library parking lot. The engine shut off, and a 16 year old Dean Winchester got out. At first, he only saw Sam. "Hey, Sammy! How did my geek brother like-"

The Doctor's eyes met Dean's as he saw Dean register who was standing beside his little brother. "Hello, Dean."

Sam glanced back and forth between the two. "Um... Dean, this guy said he was a friend of yours... a Doctor or something?"

"Yeah... yeah Sam, he is." Dean's face was shocked, but soon he was grinning again. "It's good to see you, Doc."

"So you do know each other." Sam walked over to the car, followed by the Doctor. "How come you've never mentioned him, Dean? It's not like you have very many friends."

Dean shot Sam a look before returning his gaze to the Doctor. "So what have you been up to, Doc? It's been awhile, but I'm used to that by now."

The Doctor thought about all that had happened since he last saw Dean and decided not to say anything. "Oh, you know. Out and about in the TARDIS, as usual." He tried his best to smile sincerely.

"No companion this time?" Dean asked, jokingly.

The Doctor clenched his jaw, and shook his head.

Dean recognized the look immediately, and decided it best to change the subject. "Well, my dad's out of town for now, so... if you wanna come back to our motel..." He offered.

"That would be lovely."

* * *

"Here we are. Sorry, it's not much," Dean unlocked the door to the motel room they were calling home for the time being. Sam hated it - and made it more than clear to anyone who would listen. Dean wasn't a fan of their temporary abode either, but to him that was all it was - temporary.

"Hmm," Sam scoffed, pushing past Dean into the room. "Home, sweet home."

"Hey, watch it, bitch." Dean rolled his eyes. He motioned for the Doctor to come in.

"Jerk." Sam mumbled, dropping his books on the bed.

"Don't mind him. He's always angsty now-a-days." Dean laughed. "So what brings you to Pawtucket?"

"Oh, you know, just going wherever the TARDIS takes me," He replied, trying not to sound as gloomy as he felt. What were the odds that the TARDIS decided to make a pit stop in the same town that the Winchesters happened to be in? _Whatever the reason...it can't be a good one._As much as he adored the boy, Dean seemed to be a trouble magnet.

"What's the TARDIS?" Sam asked from across the room. Watching the two of them interact was... weird, to say the least. They both talked vaguely to each other like they were trying to hide something, and Sam didn't like it.

"Nothin', Sam. Just the Doc's car. He loves the damn thing almost as much as I love mine," Dean grinned.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Somehow I doubt that."

The Doctor smiled. He loved watching the boys banter back and forth. In their later years, they seem to be missing that absolute ease with each other that they have now, even if it was strained, sometimes. He looked back at Dean. "What are you two doing in this town, anyway?"

"Dad's hunting a spirit of some old hospital across town." Dean explained. "It's spring break, so we're only here for the week." Sam made some noise akin to a scoff and Dean rolled his eyes.

"You aren't hunting it with him?" The Doctor asked, surprised. He didn't like the idea of Dean hunting, but the kid seemed to enjoy it, so he would have thought he would jump at the opportunity.

A hurt looked flashed across Dean's face, but only for a moment. "He didn't need me on this one. It's just a simple salt-and-burn. Besides, somebody's gotta look after Sammy." He spoke the second part so softly the Doctor figured Sam probably didn't even hear it.

"If it's so simple, why isn't he back yet?" Sam argued, finally coming over to where the other two were standing. "He said he would just be staying at the hospital overnight and then he'd be back. It's been three days, Dean."

"Chill out, Sammy. He's been late before." Dean tried to put his arm around his brother, but Sam shrugged away.

"It's _Sam_. And I know, that's the point, Dean." He looked like he was fully prepared to argue more, but then he looked over at the Doctor and stopped himself. "Whatever. I'm going to go read." He muttered, and then retreated back to the farthest bed from the door.

Dean sighed, and the Doctor decided to intervene. "Why don't you and I go grab a burger, huh?" He asked Dean.

Dean glanced over at Sam, who did not look back. "Yeah, sure. I'll be back soon, Sammy. You want anything?"

Sam just shook his head, not even looking up from his book.

"Let's go, then."


	8. It's Just a Phase

_**EDITED! Sorry, I'm an idiot, and I didn't really think about what time period this is in. This should be like 1995, and they didn't have common cell phones like they do now. So I had to fix a few things, but everything's mostly the same. Sorry!**_

"He never used to be like this," Dean took a huge bite of his burger as he sat across from the Doctor. The Doctor was picking lightly at his fries, but he wasn't hungry. The booth they were sitting at was small and cramped, but Dean didn't seem to mind. He was used to this sort of thing. It was all part of the routine. When Dean wasn't checking out the waitress probably twice his age, he was going on and on about Sam.

"I mean, he's never really enjoyed moving around, but he was always, like, _c__urious _about hunting. Not the hunting part, but the lore and stuff. He wanted to _learn_, you know? But now... he's just cranky all the time and hates everything and _everyone_."

The Doctor pursed his lips. "He's just a teenager, Dean. They go through phases," Although, the Doctor couldn't really blame Sam for his hesitance.

"Yeah, I guess..." He didn't seem convinced.

"You just have to give him space. He's trying to figure out who he is. Whether or not that's a hunter... is something he'll have to fund out for himself."

Dean laughed into his Coke. "Yeah, thanks, Doc. You know, you could make a good father one day."

The Doctor thought about his words for a moment, wondering whether or not to respond. But this *_was_* Dean. "I am a father, actually." He replied, his voice catching slightly.

"You are?" Dean asked, curiosity filling his green eyes. "You never told me that."

"Well, I was...am... I don't know what you say about that..." He avoided Dean's gaze.

"Oh... I'm sorry." Dean smiled politely as the waitress came to fill their drinks. As she left, Dean shoved the rest of his burger in his mouth.

The Doctor changed the subject. "And what about your dad? How is he doing?"

Dean shrugged. "You know, same as usual I guess."

"I'll have to meet him, sometime." The Doctor commented.

Dean pursed his lips. "I don't know if that's a good idea," He picked up another fry but just stared at it. "When I was really little, I would... I would talk about you all the time," Dean smiled to himself, thinking about him as a kid, blabbering on and in about his friend with the magical box. But as he continued, his smile faded. "But my dad never believed me- and who can blame him? You're kind of unbelievable. He didn't like me talking about it."

Dean kind of wished he could prove his stubborn father wrong and have him meet his old 'imaginary friend', but he knew that was a bad idea. He didn't mention it to the Doctor, but he was afraid his father wouldn't be interested in being friends with him. He may even want to *_hunt_* him, being an alien and all.

"That's okay, I understand." The Doctor reassured him. He had heard a lot about John Winchester; some good, most bad. He knew what would happen to him, and what it would do to his sons, but there was nothing he could do about that. He used to believe that he could save Dean from his fate- but he knew now that he couldn't. Not without major consequences.

Dean looked at his watch and threw his napkin on his plate. "Alright, Doc. We gotta get back. I promised Sam we wouldn't we gone too long.

Dean called the waitress over for the bill, and soon after they were on the road.

When Dean pulled the Impala into the motel parking lot, Sam was already sitting outside. As soon as he saw them, Sam jumped up. His eyes were wide with panic, and his hands were shaking. Dean was the first one out of the car, and hurridly ran over to his brother. "Sammy! Are you hurt? What's wrong?"

Sam latched himself onto his brother, who wrapped his arms around him protectively. The Doctor just watched the two of them from a few feet away, wanting to listen but not to intrude. Sam buried his face into Dean's jacket. "I'm fine, Dean. It's Dad..."

"Dad? Is he back? Is he okay?"

Sam pulled away, and addressed both men. "I was just reading and the motel phone rang. It was Dad, but... he sounded real bad, like he was hurt. He thought he was talking to you... He said that the- the hunt had gone wrong or something, and he needed help. I tried to ask him where he was and what had happened but the line went dead!" Sam's face slackened and his brow furrowed. "I've been trying to call him back but he won't pick up anymore."

Dean reached his hand out again, brushing his fingers through Sam's hair. "Don't worry. I'll go get him, okay? He'll be fine." His voice was soft, now; comforting.

"But Dean-"

"But nothin', Sam. Who do you think you're talking to? If anyone's gonna save Dad's ass, it's gonna be me, right?" Dean grinned, trying to relieve the tension in his little brothers face.

Sam did relax slightly, but he still wasn't completely confident. "Please be careful Dean. Don't go getting yourself hurt... I... I should come with you, for backup!"

Dean shook his head. "No. No way. I'll be fine, Sammy..."

"I'll come with," The Doctor piped in, finally. Both brothers turned to see him as he spoke. "I'll be your backup."

"You sure about that, Doc?"

"Absolutely." Dean seemed skeptical, but grateful. Sam looked relieved.

Dean turned back to Sam, and hugged him one last time before leaving. "You stay here, okay? You know the rules by now. I'll be back before you know it, kiddo." He let go of Sam and turned towards the Doctor. "Come on, Doc. We gotta go."

The Doctor nodded, and went to follow him outside when a little hand grabbed his arm. "Please, Doctor. I don't know you, but you're Dean's friend, and that's good enough for me." Sam bit his lower lip, just like Dean always did. "Don't let him get himself hurt, okay? He's always coming back from hunts with a twisted ankle or broken arm. Most days, he comes back he's worse off than Dad. Watch him for me?"

The Doctor sighed, but tried to look confident for Sam. "Don't worry. I'll bring him back safe." Sam smiled as the Doctor left, but the Doctor's face was pale. He had seen Dean come back from plenty of hunts, and he knew what Sam said to be true. He again wished that there was something he could do to change that- to help Dean. But there was nothing. All he could do was keep him safe for this one hunt... and Damn it- he was going to keep him safe.


	9. The Hunt is On

Dean was scared. He didn't want to admit it, but he was scared to death about the trouble his father may have been in. It was just a spirit- but if his father was in trouble, it must have been something way worse than he had imagined. To Dean, his father was invincible. What monster could possibly be so strong that his father would _need_ his help?

He wished that John had told him more about the hunt before he left, but he had remained mostly silent on it. Actually, his dad had been all-around silent lately, but he'd have to worry about that later.

"Do you know what...ghost your father was hunting?" The Doctor asked from the passenger seat. His knuckles were white from gripping the side of the door. Dean couldn't help but smile to himself. Dean could be a bit of a reckless driver, but when someone he cares about was in trouble, he was damn right stupid.

Dean was glad he had the Doctor with him. He wasn't sure he'd be able to do this without him. He had Sam, but he couldn't ask Sam to come with him. Whatever his dad had gotten himself into was most certainly dangerous. "Uh... I'm not sure. Some police officer, I think, killed in the line of duty. He didn't tell me much. He thought it would be an easy hunt..."

"Well, things are never easy when the Winchesters are involved." The Doctor grinned, trying to ease the tension.

It worked, and Dean laughed. "Yeah, I guess not." He gripped the steering wheel. "Hey, uh, Doc. Thanks for coming with me... this might be dangerous, so thanks for sticking around."

"Anytime, Dean." The Doctor knew he would never let Dean do this alone. He was much too young to be hunting, never mind hunting _alone_, especially something his father couldn't even handle. Suddenly, an idea popped into his mind. "You know what, you should have this." He pulled out a cell phone and handed it to him.

"What the hell is this?" Dean took it, skeptically.

"I know, you don't really have phones like this yet... its a mobile phone." The Doctor explained.

"Like a cell phone? Dude, its so tiny." Dean flipped it open and the screen lit up. It _was _pretty cool.

"Yep. But it's way better than that. It will call me anytime, anywhere. No matter where you are, or even where I am."

"Seriously?" Dean shoved it into his pocket. "So, I could be in the middle of fucking nowhere, and you could be on Mars, or wherever, and I could still call you?"

The Doctor nodded. "So if you ever need my help, just call me, okay?"

"'Course I will, man. Thanks!" Dean grinned.

The Doctor knew Dean would call. He had already answered him several times, (time travel, right?) But he also knew that more often than not, the Doctor was not able to help him.

…

All Dean knew about the hunt was this:

A local police officer had been killed in the line of duty. It was a violent death, and now she was haunting the town, killing criminals and would-be criminals alike. She was killing people that even _thought _about stealing or jaywalking or the like. This is an easy hunt- a simple salt-and-burn. And no, Dean, I don't need your help. Why don't you just stay with your brother. The brats gonna get himself hurt one of these days if you don't watch him.

But it would seem that it was his _dad _who went off and got himself hurt, this time. Dean was almost glad his father needed his help- it was a way to show him how capable he was as a hunter at only 16. But right now he was more concerned about getting him home safely.

Dean pulled the Impala into the first motel they had passed in the area. It was sort of out of the way, and looked like nobody had been there in years. It was exactly the kind of place his dad would have picked.

Dean and the Doctor walked side by side to the front desk. Dean was trying to think of some sob story to feed to the manager when the Doctor pulled something out from his trench coat. "Hello, I'm with the FBI and I'm looking for someone we believe to be here."

Dean gaped at the blank paper the Doctor was holding up. _What the hell? What is he doing?_ Much to Dean's surprise, the man at the counter glanced at his badge, closed the book he was reading, and nodded. "Who you lookin' for, agent?"

Dean answered this one. "Male, Caucasian. He's tall- about 6'1" or so. A pretty big guy with dark hair and a beard." Dean stumbled, wishing he knew which alias his dad had used this time.

The man looked at the kid and back at the Doctor, who motioned for him to answer. "Yeah, I guess there was a guy like that here. Checked in about a week ago. Damn guy owes me for another week if he don't get back here soon. All his stuff is in the room, though. So he'll be back."

"Which room was that?"

…

"This is definitely my dad," Dean muttered as they searched room 24. There were newspaper clippings tapped to the walls, guns stashed under the bed, and empty beer bottles scattered around the room.

The Doctor wrinkled his nose at the smell. "Its been a while since he's been here."

Dean sighed. "He could have been in trouble this whole time and only had the chance to call today. He could be real hurt, Doc."

"Don't worry, Dean. He's got the world's two best detectives after him, right?"

Dean rolled his eyes but smiled anyway. "Alright. So where would he have gone next?"

"You said he already knew what he was hunting, right? Or at least thought he knew."

Dean nodded. "So he would have gone to the cemetery to salt and burn the dead chicks bones."

"Except," the Doctor picked up one of the newspaper clippings and handed it to Dean. "She was cremated."

"Damn. So there must be something else, then." Dean paused and then grinned at the Doctor. "Not bad, Doc. Who taught you how to hunt?"

"You did." The Doctor replied, and although it made Dean grin even harder, he didn't seem overly enthusiastic about it.

"Then I guess you know what this means."

The Doctor frowned.

"We gotta interrogate the family. Hey... can I see that paper thing of yours?"


	10. Detective John Smith

"Psychic Paper? Sweet!" Dean ran his fingers along the _alien _paper. "I have _go__t_ to get me one of these things."

The Doctor held out his hand and Dean reluctantly gave it back. "They're hard to come by. But you should be focusing on the road..." The Doctor mumbled.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Look, Doctor. I know I'm only 16, but I've been driving for quite a few years now. I know what I'm doing."

The Doctor seemed unimpressed, but he didn't say anything else about it.

Dean pulled into the drive way of the small two-bedroom apartment that once upon a time belonged to the dearly departed Ms. Grace Williams. The Doctor opened his car door, but stopped when he realized Dean was not moving. "I'm not going in."

"What? Why not?" The Doctor asked, incredulously.

"Dude, I'm 16. Sure, on a good day I can pass for old enough to get into a bar, but not for a cop. Besides, you're the one with the magic paper." Dean shrugged. "What, I thought you said you'd done this before?"

The Doctor frowned. "Yeah, but... not without you."

"You'll do great, Doc. Remember, it's all about confidence!"

…

The Doctor was _not_ filled with confidence as he knocked on the door. It wasn't that he was nervous about acting the part. Dean Winchester wasn't the only one who lied about who they were to get what they wanted. His problem was that he wasn't used to conning grieving family members.

A woman in her late 30's opened the door. She stood much shorter than the Doctor, with dark hair and even darker eyes. "May I help you?"

The Doctor put on a soft smile and took out the Psychic Paper. "Hello, Mam, I am Detective John Smith, and I'm here about the death of Grace Williams."

The woman's name was Emily Fink, and she was the partner of the alleged ghost. Emily invited the Doctor in and offered him tea, which he appreciated very much.

While the Doctor spoke to Emily, Dean waited impatiently in the Impala. His fingers picked at the fabric of his jeans, and his other hand tapped on the steering wheel. He knew the Doctor had to take his time, but _damn it_, he couldn't wait any more.

When he finally saw the Doctors lanky body walking back to the car, he almost jumped out in excitement. "Doc! How'd it go? What'd they say?"

The Doctor folded himself into the passenger seat and closed the door. "She was pretty distraught, even now. Like I said, she had the body cremated, but she didn't seem to have anything worth haunting."

Dean frowned. "What about, like, a wedding ring or something?"

The Doctor shook his head. "They never officially married. I asked about any jewelry or anything very important to her, but I didn't get anywhere."

"Damn it." Dean cursed. He wished his dad was here, now. He'd know exactly where to look. "Maybe... maybe she isn't attached to an object. Maybe it's a person, or..."

Dean's voice trailed off and the Doctor watched his face as he ran his fingers through his hair. He could tell Dean was already losing confidence, and if he lost his confidence he wouldn't be able to focus, and the Doctor couldn't do this on his own. "It's okay, Dean, you've got this. Is there someone else we should talk to?"

Dean sighed and tried to think. "She was a cop. We should go to the station, and talk to her friends there. Maybe she had something she kept at the office, away from the missus."

The Doctor smiled wide. "Perfect! What do you say, Dean? Allons-y!"

…

"She loved her job," Sargent Davis explained. He was a large, burly man with a full beard. He adjusted his thin wire-frame glasses with pudgy fingers and frowned. "One of the most devoted officers I've ever had."

He looked down at his lap and the Doctor gave him a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry for your loss. From what I hear, she was a wonderful woman, and a great officer."

The Sargent thanked him, and then laughed a little. "You know, we used to joke that not even death would keep her away from the office." The Doctor swallowed hard. "It doesn't seem so funny now." He leaned back in his chair and weaved his fingers through his thinning hair.

"Is there anything about how she died that was...well, odd?"

Davis shook his head. "Not really. Unfortunately it's something we see much too often."

The Doctor covered up a defeated sigh. This wasn't getting him anywhere. Dean was out in the car again, probably having another fit and the Doctor was going to come back empty handed, yet again.

"You know, I haven't even given her badge away. It was too important to her, ya know? I don't know what to do with it- it's just in my desk now- but it doesn't seem right to give it away."

_BINGO!_ The Doctor smiled. This was definitely something. "Thank you, Sargent Davis. I appreciate your help with his case."

The Sargent stood as he did, and shook his hand. "No, thank you. I'm just glad the feds are finally looking into this kind of stuff. It's a damn shame." And the Doctor thought it was a damn shame he _wasn't_ a fed.

…

"Of course it's her badge!" Dean threw his hands into the air. "How could I not see that? If she was devoted enough to come back and haunt the city as some ghostly cop, she'd be devoted enough to haunt her freakin' badge. It was a symbol of what she stood for."

The Doctor was just glad to see Dean on the right track again. "So we have to get her badge?"

"Yup."

"From the police station?"

"Guess so."

"We're gonna steal a badge from the desk of the police Sargent in the police station?"

"I don't understand where I lost you, Doctor."

The Doctor sighed and readjusted himself in the passenger seat. This plan was rubbish, and Dean must have known it. But it was for his dad, so he'd do just about anything.

"If I came back as a ghost, I'd probably haunt my car." Dean said, randomly, brushing his hand over the dashboard. "What about you, Doc?"

The Doctor lowered his brow at the strange question, but answered it, anyway. "The TARDIS, I suppose." He'd never want to come back as a ghost. He had lived long enough. And the Dean he knew wouldn't want to either. He had lived through enough.

"Even if we burn the badge, I still don't know where Dad is." Dean said quietly, after a few moments. "We're still barely any closer to finding him."

"Don't worry about that right now, Dean. First let's make sure Grace Williams can't hurt any more people- no matter what they did. Then we'll find your father."

Dean nodded, and looked back at the road. "Okay. Whatever you say, Doc. What do you keep saying? Alan-Zee?"


	11. Bad Man

_**Just a quick thank you to everyone who has been reading! And of course to those who have reviewed! It keeps me writing!**_

Dean pulled the Impala into the motel where his father had been in. They had the badge, but they didn't have him, yet.

As soon as they got into the room, Dean picked up the phone and called Sam. "Heya, Sammy."

"Dean! Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Sam's voice was high-pitched with worry, and Dean couldn't help but smile.

"I'm fine, Sammy. We haven't found Dad yet, but we're getting close. Are you okay?" He knew Sam was a smart kid, but he still worried about leaving him alone. The only thing worse than leaving him was bringing him on this hunt.

He still wasn't thrilled about Sam being apart of _any _hunt. He had been absolutely against it when his dad had first brought it up. But as Sam got older, it became more and more apparent just how vital he was. He was great at researching, and could even hold his own during training. His dad still didn't like him actually _coming_ on hunts just yet, and Dean was grateful for that.

"Yeah, Dean, I'm fine." Sam's voice changed slightly to convey his annoyance. "I'm sitting in a hotel room, worrying. You need to be worried about _you _and Dad."

"Yeah, of course I am, Sammy. I gotta go. Call this number if you get in trouble, okay?"

"Okay... jerk."

"Bitch."

Dean hung up, turning his attention to the Doctor. "Sam's okay?"

Dean nodded. "Now we gotta handle this ghost bitch." He pulled the badge out of his jacket and twirled it around in his fingers. It was black and cloth. Her picture and name was beside the gold piece.

"If we burn the badge, she'll be put at rest, right?" The Doctor asked.

Dean paused. "Well, yeah. But we still don't know where my dad is. That's why we need to talk to her. I bet she knows." He took off his jacket and laid it across the bed.

"Well, boy, you would be wrong." A woman's menacing voice had them both spinning around. A red-headed woman wearing a police uniform stood by the door. There was a bullet wound in her chest, and blood was gushing from both the wound and her mouth. "I don't know where your poor daddy is, but I wish I did."

Dean gripped tighter onto the badge, standing slightly in front of the Doctor. "You're lying. You did something with him!" He yelled, louder than he had meant to.

The Doctor put his hand on his shoulder to try and calm him. "Just tell us where he is. _Please._"

"Oh... he was a _bad_ man. I've seen so many like him." The spirit taunted. "He was a liar. A thief. A _murderer_. I _should've _killed him. But I never had the chance."

Dean was about to say something else when he was thrown back into the Doctor. They both fell onto the floor. Dean felt himself being dragged across the room. He tried to flip himself over and reach for the Doctor, but before he could, he felt invisible claws dig into his chest.

He failed to hold back a cry of pain as she tore into his flesh. He faintly heard the Doctor yell his name, and he had an idea. "Do-octor...!" He threw the badge behind him.

The Doctor scrambled, grabbing the badge. He looked over to Dean, but knew he could do nothing about the ghost on top of him. All he could do was burn this badge, and get rid of her once and for all.

He ran across the room to Dean's bag, hoping to find a lighter. He could hear Dean gasping in pain, and he tried to move faster.

Meanwhile, Dean was struggling to reach into his pocket. He had some 'emergency salt' tucked away, just in case of something like this. But he was rendered practically immobile by the ghost.

"You're just like your father..." It growled. "Just another criminal. And I can feel inside of you, boy... you're going to be so much more than your daddy someday. You're going to be a murderer too. But not if I stop you, first."

Finally, Dean wrapped his fingers around the salt. With an aggravated motion, he swung his arm out, throwing salt at the spirit. He heard Grace shriek as she temporarily disappeared.

Dean gasped, enjoying the easy breaths he could now take. Still holding onto the salt with one hand, he used the other to check the damage to his chest. While it had felt like claws shredding his skin, there was no evidence of it. Instead, there was what seemed to be the beginnings of a bullet hole. There was blood pooling out, and he knew he had to stop the bleeding.

"Doctor..." He groaned.

The Doctors head shot up. "Where's the lighter?" He asked, urgently.

Dean closed his eyes, trying to think. "J-j-jacket."

The Doctor grabbed the jacket and found the lighter. "What do I do? Just burn it?"

Dean nodded. ""L-light it u-up..."

The Doctor went to light it, when Grace appeared once again. This time with her eyes on the Doctor. "You don't want to do that, Doctor. You've got more blood on your hands than that boy and his father combined. And you know it."

The lighter was lit, and the badge was just inches from the flame, but the Doctor was frozen.

"You know what you've done. You know you deserve to be punished." The ghost snarled, and the Doctor considered her words.

He knew he had a lot to be sorry for. Time Lords lived too long, it seemed. He was a survivor of the Time War, but at what cost?

Maybe the Doctor would have considered what Grace was saying more, but then he heard a somewhat pathetic, "Do it," from Dean down on the floor.

He lit the badge, and dropped it on the ground. The ghost screamed as she, too, went up in flames.

As soon as Grace was gone, the Doctor ran to Dean. "Dean, are you okay? What did she do to you?"

Dean was finally able to sit up with the Doctors help. "Nothin', my chest..." He dropped the salt and brought his other hand to the wound. "It's bleedin' pretty bad..." His voice was somewhat slurred as he spoke.

The Doctor helped him stand up. It certainly _looked_ bad. "Come on, Dean. We need to get you to a hospital. You need a doctor."

Dean laughed as he was led out to his car. "You _are_ a Doctor."

…

When Dean walked into the hospital, he looked like shit. There was blood leaking out of his chest and his mouth, and he could barely walk in by himself.

Yet when he walked out, he didn't look half bad. He was all cleaned up, and any physical damage had been to his chest, which was covered by a clean shirt. He was still in a lot of pain, but he didn't show it.

"I'm fine, Doc. Please, stop touching me." Dean complained when the Doctor tried to help him back to the car.

"Dean, if you're in pain-"

"I told you I'm fine. Jeez, Doc, give it a rest." Dean snatched his keys back and headed to the drivers side. "We need to figure out what happened to Dad, now."

"Grace didn't know what happened to him." The Doctor sighed.

"Yeah... which means we still have no clue what about what got to him." Dean frowned. "So we're gonna have to do some more digging."

They both were quiet as they sat in the car, thinking. The Doctor tried to focus on John, but all he could think about was Sam. He had promised the kid he would look out for Dean, and make sure he didn't get hurt. And now look at him- already had a trip to the hospital and they weren't even done yet!

Dean also had something else on his mind. "So, Doc... what was Grace talking about, back there?"

"What?"

"I mean... she said you had a lot of blood on your hands, too." The Doctor shuffled uncomfortably, and Dean cleared his throat. "I hope you don't mind me asking. I mean, I've seen a lot of death for my age, and I've killed a lot of things. So... you don't have to worry about me. It's just... you seem like a really good guy. I can't imagine you doing anything to make Grace say something like that."

The Doctor closed his eyes. He didn't want to tell Dean what he had done. He didn't want to explain his dark past to someone who thought so highly of him. He didn't want to disappoint him. But older versions of Dean knew all about the Time War, and his role in it. Which means that the Doctor must have told him at some point.

But it also meant that Dean understood. He already knew Dean's reaction to him opening up. Or maybe Dean only understood when he was older, and had to make hard choices just like the Doctor.

Whichever was the case, he knew he owed it to Dean to be honest with him. Just... not right now.

"It's a long story, Dean... we should really be focusing on your father." He knew it was a lame attempt to change the subject, but he also knew that Dean would go along with it. For now.

Dean sighed. "Okay... later then."

"So, what now? Where else do we look for John?"

Dean thought for a moment. "The only place in town I know my dad had to have been." Dean explained, starting the car. "The bar."


	12. Help From the Future

"Yeah, he was in here," The bartender was a thin, lanky man of at least 40, telling by his receding hairline. Dean had fake ID'd his way into a beer after telling the Doctor to stay back at the hotel and 'research' some more.

"Do you have any idea where he went after leaving here?" Dean pressed, putting his dads picture away in his wallet. The picture was of his mom and dad from years and years ago. John had changed a lot since then, but was luckily still recognizable.

The bartender shrugged. "Dunno. He left with some chick draped over his shoulder, though. I've seen her before. She comes in here a lot- and she _never _leaves alone."

Dean thanked him and asked to use a phone. At first he wanted to call Sam, but decided that was a bad idea. Sam would figure out where he was easily, and he'd be pissed. Instead, he settled on calling the Doctor. "Hey, Doc. You find anything?"

"No. I told you, we searched this room up and down, I don't know what you expected me to find.

Dean grinned. "I don't know. Wishful thinking, I guess. Anyway, _I _found out something. My dad was definitely here. And he left with some lady. She was short, dark hair, dark eyes. I think she was Indian or something. I don't know. The bartender wasn't much help with what she looked like. If you ask me, I think he spent most of her time staring at her chest, not her face."

"Good. Now get back to the motel, and we'll figure out who she is." The Doctor didn't like the fact that he even _went_ to the bar, especially alone. "Dean? Are you still there?"

"What? Oh, yeah, sorry, Doc. Guess what? The bartender just kindly alerted me that the chick Dad went home with just came in." The Doctor could actually hear Dean's sly smile.

"Dean, I know what you're thinking and I-"

"I gotta go, Doc. I've got a new _witness_ to interrogate."

"Dean, no," The Doctor argued "We don't know what she is. It's dangerous-"

"Bye!" Dean hung up the phone. He fixed up his hair before strolling over to the table the bartender motioned to. He put on his best flirtatious smile and reminded himself that this was a job- and she could be anything. "Hey, how you doing?"

The woman smiled back childishly. "Great, thanks for asking. You look a little young to be in here,"

"What? Nah- I'm twenty one. Birthday was just last month." Dean sat across from her. "So, how about I buy you a drink?"

The woman twirled a piece of her silky black hair. "That would be lovely."

…

The Doctor had no car, and he had left the TARDIS back with at the library. But that wasn't going to stop him from getting Dean out of there. For all they know, that woman was some kind of monster.

He walked out into the parking lot and looked around. There were three other cars parked out there, and there were no people around. The Doctor had never stolen a car before... but he _had_ technically stolen the TARDIS. And besides, he was going to _return _the car.

…

Dean had only meant to flirt his way into information. He was good at that. He didn't mean for _this_ to happen.

They had only been talking. The woman- Emily did eventually tell him about the man she had met the other night; some drunk traveler. But she hadn't said she went home with him. Maybe she was just trying to impress Dean.

But now, he found himself in the men's restroom with her tongue shoved down his throat. Despite of his reputation, he hadn't exactly kissed too many girls. This, however, was much different than Robin. Robin was gentle and sweet. Emily, however, was rough and handsy.

She threw off his jacket and pulled his shirt up. Emily pushed him up against the wall and started to suck on the side of his neck.

Dean held back a gasp and relaxed into her touch. She was absolutely mesmerizing. He pulled up her shirt, exposing her lacy pink bra. She pulled away and stared at him, with dark eyes. "Oh, Dean..." She leaned forward, whispering into his ear. He could feel her warm breath of his skin. "You're just as dumb as your daddy."

Before he even had a chance to react, Emily threw him across the room. He landed hard on the sink.

Dean cringed, curling in on himself. He glanced up at Emily as she strutted over to him. She wrapped her fingers in his hair, and he hissed on pain. "You don't want to mess with _me_, boy."

"You, bitch," Dean hissed, biting his lip. "I should've known. So what are you, then?"

"My name is Aeshma." She spoke, her eyes suddenly pools of black. "And I don't like hunters sniffing around here."

…

The Doctor parked his _borrowed_ car into the bars parking lot. He immediately became worried when he didn't see Dean right away. He wandered through the tables, looking for the woman from Dean's description. When he still came up empty-handed, he decided to find the bartender Dean had been talking to.

"Hey, man. Can I get you anything?" The bartender smiled politely, but he looked like serving drinks was the last thing in the world he wanted to do.

"I was actually just looking for my friend, Dean. He was in here earlier. Tall, blondish hair, green eyes. He said he was talking to you..."

"Oh, yeah. He borrowed the phone."

The Doctor smiled. "Yeah. Do you know where he is?"

The bartender raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, well, it looks like he went into the bathroom with a lady friend."

"Oh... I see... thank you."

To get to the restroom, you had to go through a long, empty hallway with a few doors labeled "STAFF ONLY". The Doctor stood a few feet from the men's bathroom door, wondering whether or not to go in. If he was in trouble, he'd need to go in. But if the woman was simply just a girl... it would be _awkward_ to say the least.

He had almost decided to walk away when he heard a muffled yell come from inside the room. He ran through the door and found Dean on the floor, with a woman hovering over him. Both of their eyes shot towards him.

"I see you invited a friend. How lovely." The woman eyes were completely black; a sign the Doctor knew all to well meant a demon.

Suddenly. The demon was on him, landing one solid punch to his jaw. The Doctor managed to push her off of him, holding his jaw with his hands. The demon just laughed and with a flick of her hand, had him pinned up against the wall.

She strutted towards him, breathing heavily. The Doctor saw Dean stand, holding his side. He looked at the Doctor, at the demon, and then _ran_. He took off through the door, leaving the Doctor all alone.

The Doctor was alone and defenseless, and most certainly about to die. He didn't know where Dean had went, but he knew he needed to buy himself some time. "So, you're a demon, then?"

"And you're a hunter?" She stoked her hand through his hair.

He shook his head. "No, I'm really not. I'm just trying to help my friend find his dad. I heard you might know something about that."

"Oh, that's right. I _do_ know something or another. He came here a few nights ago. A real ladies man," She said, sarcasticly. "I knew he was a hunter right away, just like your friend. Thought he could get in my pants, well, I showed him I suppose."

"What did you do to him?" The Doctor pulled away from her touch.

The demon grinned. "Oh, I brought him back to my place. Taught him a lesson. Just like I'm going to do to you- and that kid if he's still here. Seems like he ran out on you. Some friend."

_He'll be back, _The Doctor was certain. He knew Dean, he wouldn't have just left him. He must have gone for help or something... right? "Look, uh..."

"Aeshma."

"Right... Aeshma. Look, I can help you, alright? Whatever you are looking for, you don't need to be _killing_ people to get it. When my friend get's back, we can help you. All you need to do is give us John." The Doctor had met more demons that he would have liked, but he still didn't believe they were all _truly_ evil. They were, still, just human souls, twisted in Hell. Certainly they could be persuaded. They could be changed.

Not this one though. "Oh please. I don't want your help. All I want is _pain._ And I don't _kill_. You hunters think it's all about killing. No, I _torture._ But I guess you're about to find that out."

She raised her hand, and the Doctor flinched backwards, but before she could do anything, a smart-ass voice came form the doorway. "Not today, bitch." Aeshma turned to see Dean, arms crossed, leaning on the door frame. "Look, sweetheart, he's no hunter. He couldn't hurt a fly for God's sake. But me, well, I'm one of the best damn hunters you've ever set your pretty black eyes on. And there is no way you're making it out of this bar alive."

"Dean, what are you-"

"Oh, really?" Aeshma backed away from the Doctor, causing him to fall onto the ground. "We'll see about that."

Dean felt an invisible force fling him backwards through the hallway. He landed on his back, but quickly scurried forward. He didn't want anyone from the bar walking in on them. They would only get hurt. He saw Aeshma in the doorway, and willed her to come closer. "That all you got?"

The demon smirked, obviously sure she could snap the kid like a twig. She took a step forward, then another. Then one more. Then suddenly, she couldn't. She walked forward, but there was some kind of invisible wall blocking her. Her eyes went wide, and she looked down. She was standing on a hastily drawn Devil's trap. "No..." She looked back to Dean with eyes filled with rage. "You little-"

Dean grinned, holding up a can of red spray paint. "I think the bartender might be a bit upset with me... but hey, it was worth it."

"Let me out of here, Winchester. Or I swear I will rip your limbs off one by one." Aeshma growled.

Dean stood, shrugging. "Maybe. But first you'll have to crawl your way out of Hell."

He took out a crumpled piece of paper shoved in his pocket. He began to recite the words, unsure of what to expect. "_Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas..."_

The Doctor ran out, just in time to hear, "A_udi nos!" _ And see black smoke poor out of the woman's body. It twirled and burrowed into the ground, leaving just an unconscious woman and a startled Dean. Dean looked up at him, eyes wide. "We should get out of here."

"What about... her?" The Doctor pointed to the woman.

"The bar staff will find her... quickly I may add. They're coming... we gotta go! Now!"

The Doctor ran, trying to keep up with Dean as he dashed past three waiters and waitresses as well as the bartender as they rushed to see what that noise was. He heard someone call out for an ambulance, and he knew that the woman would be getting help.

They piled into the Impala and the Doctor said, "Wait, I stole a car to get here."

Dean started the car. "Great, Doc. But I think we have bigger worries on our hands."

"But I have to return it!"

"The cops will find it! And they'll return it to the unlucky bastard. Let's just go!"

They drove away hearing police sirens in the distance. When they were a safe distance form the bar, Dean finally allowed himself to relax. "That was a close one, Doc."

The Doctor nodded. "Do you always carry spray paint around?"

Dean gave him a weird look, and then turned away. "Well, you know what they say, Doc. You gotta be prepared for anything." The Doctor just turned back tot he road. "Actually, Doc. It, uh... it wasn't mine. Someone gave it to me. I saw him outside the bathroom when the demon attacked you."

Now it was the Doctors turn to give Dean a look. "What? Who was it?"

Dean bit his bottom lip. "Well, uh, you did. It was you. And some guy."

"Me? You must be joking. I was getting attacked!"

"I know! But it was definitely you. You were standing there with some tall guy in a trench coat. You gave me this." He handed the Doctor the paper he had been reading off of earlier. Someone had drawn in pen an exorcism, as well as a Devil's trap in blue ink. "You told me to use this against the demon. I don't even know what that thing is, but it trapped her!"

The Doctor stared at the paper. It wasn't in his hand writing, nor Dean's. Maybe the man he was with wrote it? "It's not like me to interfere with my own time line."

"Well, future you changed his mind, man." Dean shook his head. "It was _weird_, dude. Seeing you in two places. But hey, you saved out asses."

"I guess so..." He folded up the piece of paper and gave it back to Dean. "You should hold onto it, just in case you or your father- Oh! Dean! I know where your father is!"

_**A/N: I'm really excited about this, guys! So, yes, you will be seeing Castiel later on, and he'll get to hang out with the Doctor. I hope you guys are enjoying reading this as much as I am writing it! Please leave your reviews, and let me know what other characters you want me to include! Thank you!**_

_**Aeshma is the Younger Avestan name of Zoroastrianism's demon of "wrath." As a hypostatic entity, Aeshma is variously interpreted as "wrath," "rage," and "fury."**_


	13. Rescue Mission

_**I just passed 3,000 views! Thank you guys so much for reading this! Please, please, please leave your reviews so that I know what y'all like and dislike! Thank you!**_

Miss "Emily" owned a house only a few blocks down from the bar. The Doctor knew that Aeshma had kept John alive, and their best guess was that he was locked up somewhere in her house. After searching for it for fifteen minutes, Dean was finally able to pull the Impala into the driveway of a rather normal looking American Colonial house.

"This is it? This is the demons lair?" Dean asked, incredulously as they exited the car.

The Doctor frowned. "Blends in quite well, doesn't it?"

The Doctor was quite displeased as Dean picked the lock of the front door. Not because he was against breaking in to a murderous demons house, but because he did it with an ease that pointed towards normalcy. When they finally got into the house, Dean couldn't help but start calling out, "Dad? DAD!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down, Dean. You never know what else is in here." The Doctor warned. Dean looked slightly embarrassed, but he shut up anyway. 'You check upstairs. I'll take down here."

Dean nodded, and climbed the steps quietly. When he was out of the Doctors sight, he pulled out his gun. He knew the Doctor didn't like him carrying it; he didn't even like him owning one. But he was right- they never knew what else was in the house. _Better safe than sorry._

He wouldn't admit it to the Doctor, but Dean was scared. He was scared that they wouldn't find his dad here, and he was scared that they would. What if they found him but they were too late? What would he do? What would he tell Sammy? Or maybe they would never find him. Never know what happened to him, or where that demon bitch took him. Either way, Dean didn't think he could handle that.

He was so lost in thought when he pushed open the door to the master bedroom, that when he saw his dad laying there, tied up to the bed, he dropped his gun.

The safety was off, and when the gun hit the ground, it went off. It fired with a bang, drilling a hole into the dresser beside him. It was loud enough to make Dean jump, John groan, and the Doctor run upstairs. Without even picking back up the gun, Dean ran to his dad. "Dad! Dad, holy shit..."

John was unconscious, but he reacted to the gunshot, which was a good sign. He was bleeding from multiple wounds on his chest and back, but most had already clotted up. His face was covered in bruises, but nothing that wouldn't heal over time. Dean immediately took out his pocket knife and began to cut the ropes binding him to the bed.

"Dean! What happened, are you oka-?" The Doctor stopped dead in his tracks when he saw John. "Oh, God..." He ran over to help Dean untie him. "We need to bring him to the ER, Dean."

"No. No hospitals. He'll kill me if he wakes up in a hospital!" Dean argued, cutting the last of the binds. "It's okay. I can patch him up. As long as he wakes up..."

The Doctor sighed. "Fine. Let's get him in the car." He walked over to the other side of John, trying to figure out the best way to carry him downstairs. After a moment, he realized Dean wasn't moving. "Dean?"

Dean was frozen, staring at his father. His eyes were wet with tears, but he wasn't crying or saying anything. He looked eerily similar to the four year old boy the Doctor first met, all those years ago, crying for his mother in the middle of the grocery store. "Dean. We have to get him in the car." He tried again, waving his hand in Dean's face.

Dean blinked, looking at the Doctor like he was seeing him for the first time. "Sorry... you're right. Let's go." He shook his head and took a deep breath.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's do this."

…

The Doctor drove while Dean patched up his father the best he could in the backseat. He used most of the supplies in the first aid kit, and still had to stop by a drug store to buy more. Throughout it all, John had yet to wake up.

"Are you sure we shouldn't-"

"Yes, Doc, I'm sure. He... he's fine. Or he will be. When he wakes up." Dean crawled over the seat into the passenger side once he was done. "Doc, uh... you can't be here when he wakes up. I'm really sorry, it's just..."

The Doctor cut him off. "It's okay, Dean. I understand. I'll go when I'm sure you guys are safe at the motel." _As safe as you can be, anyway._

"Thanks. You know how my dad can be. I just don't want him... overreacting to you, that's all." Dean didn't want the Doctor to leave, he really didn't. But now that his father was back, there was no other option. "By the way... you know you promised you'd tell me what Grace was talking about, once we found my dad."

The Doctor frowned. "I don't think I did."

"Okay, maybe you didn't _promise_, but you should have. Come on, Doc. We're all friends here," Dean glanced back at his dad. "Well, all of us who are conscious, anyway."

The Doctor sighed. He knew he had run out of options. He had to tell Dean the truth. About Gallifrey and the Time Lords. About _everything_. He owed him that much. He just worried about how Dean would handle it. "You're right. I owe it to you. You just have to promise me one thing. You have to promise me that you'll use that phone I gave you. That you'll call if you're in trouble."

Dean nodded. "'Course, Doc. You know I will."

The Doctor didn't smile. He thought about the older Dean, the Dean he knew. The Dean who never called him, and always got himself into trouble. He knew his promise would be abandoned as Dean grew colder to the world that screwed him over. But it was still comforting to hear those words from him now. And for that, he would tell Dean the truth.

…

When they arrived back at the motel- Sam's motel- they were talking about the Ood. The Ood were peaceful squid-faced humanoids, who were initially slaves to the humans, but eventually progressed into an incredibly advanced species. They absolutely fascinated Dean, who wanted nothing more than to see them in person. "Trust me, Dean. You will." The Doctor promised, knowingly, but refused to say anymore.

The Doctor told Dean about the Time War, and his unfortunate involvement in it. How he had ended his entire species as well as the Daleks (or so he had thought). He had won, but at a huge cost. The Doctor was worried about what Dean's reaction might be, but he took it well.

When the Doctor pulled the car into the parking space, Sam was already running out the door. "Dean! Doctor! Are you okay? Where's Dad?"

Dean got out quickly, and Sam ran into his arms. "It's okay, Sammy. I'm fine. Dad's in the car. He... he'll be fine, soon." Dean pulled his brother in tightly, ignoring the slight pain on his chest from his earlier injuries.

Sam pulled away, checking Dean up and down for any injuries. "You're face is bruised."

Dean huffed. "No it's not. Come on, let me and Doc get Dad inside."

…

"Can't you fix him? I mean, aren't you a doctor?" Sam asked impatiently.

John seemed to be alright- from all of their _professional_ opinions- but he still hadn't woken up as they plopped him onto the hotel bed. "Uh... no. I'm not _a_ doctor. I'm _the_ Doctor. And I'm sure he's just exhausted, from what he went through."

"Yeah, but... you think he'd wake up for us..." Dean sighed, sitting down beside his dad.

The Doctor heard Sam click his tongue, but didn't say anything. "So what was it? Was it the ghost?"

Dean shook his head, giving a sideways glace to the Doctor. "No, it was... something else. Nothing you need to worry about, Sammy. We took care of it."

"Dean, you can't just keep me in the dark about everything." Sam went to hit Dean playfully, but he was not expecting the pained reaction when his hand collided with Dean's chest. "Jeez, Dean, what's wrong?"

Dean shook his head, bringing his hand up to his chest. He had needed stitches in the hospital, and the wound was really starting to hurt again. "Nothin', Sammy. I think you're just getting stronger."

The Doctor eyed them both, frowning.

"Bullshit, Dean. Lemme see." Dean put up a weak fight at most, and Sam lifted up his shirt to reveal the hospital bandages. "What the hell happened, Dean? Why didn't you tell me?"

Dean pulled away and pulled down his shirt. "It's nothing, Sam. Just a little gift from the ghost, that's all." He tried to calm his brother, but he knew that this would only lead to a Sam-tangent. It seemed like he was going off on more and more of those, lately.

Sam looked like he was about to argue, but instead he spun around to face the Doctor. "You said you weren't going to let him get hurt! You promised!"

"Sam, I..." The Doctor found himself at a loss for words. It was true, he did promise. But he had tried his best. He wasn't cut out for this hunting thing. "I'm sorry..."

"Hey, whoa, Sam. Leave the Doctor out of this. It has nothing to do with him. He had my back the whole time. Besides, why are you going off, making people promise to watch out for me? I can take care of myself."

"Oh, yeah? That's what Dad says too. And look at him now. I swear, Dean. If you're not careful, you're going to turn out _just like him!"_

"Maybe that ain't such a bad thing, Sammy." Dean argued. He looked over at his unconscious father, and suddenly remembered the Doctor. He had to get him out of here before he woke up. "Look, Sam, we can argue later. I gotta take the Doc to his car."

Sam just rolled his eyes. "This family is nuts. The faster I get out of here, the better."

Dean didn't say anything. He just grabbed the keys and stormed out, expecting the Doctor to follow.

The Doctor looked back and forth between the brothers. "Sam, you have to believe me. I am so sorry about Dean getting hurt."

Sam sighed, his anger slowly turning into sorrow. "I know, I'm sorry. It's just... if he keeps going out on hunts like this... one of these days he's not going to come back. And I can't... I can't..." Sam closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. The Doctor wished he could tell Sam that Dean was going to be alright. That he had seen the future Dean, and it wasn't going to be just some hunt that kills him. But Sam didn't know about any of that, so instead, he remained silent. "Just go. Dean's waiting for you."

…

Dean drove the Doctor back to the library where the TARDIS was parked. "I'm sorry about that, Doc. Thanks... for coming with me and all. I really appreciate it."

"Anytime, Dean. Just give me a ring." The Doctor smiled. "Take care of yourself, Dean. I mean it."

Dean nodded. "You too, Doc."

John woke up a few hours after Dean got back. Sam hadn't spoke a word to him the whole time, yet still didn't mention the Doctor to their dad per Dean's request. John was in pain, but no pain that he couldn't drink away, for a while at least. Dean had hoped for a _good job_ or _thanks for saving my ass, boy_, but John didn't even mention it.

Only a few weeks later, John was ready for another hunt. "Where are we going, sir?" Dean asked. Sam folded his arms and sunk farther into his chair.

"Flagstaff."


	14. Voicemail

_**Well, school has started again. It will take away from the time I have to write, but I'll make sure to update as often as possible. Thank you all for your continued support! You all are the reason I write! Enjoy this new chapter!**_

"Come _on_, Doctor. Let's go somewhere _fun_!" Rose whined, grinning. "You do know fun, don't you?"

"What are you talking about? I'm _fun!_" The Doctor faked looking hurt. "I'm lots of fun. Just you wait, Rose Tyler. I'll show you _fun_."

The Doctor dragged his hands lightly over the console, considering where to take her. She pulled up beside him, wrapping her arms around his. "Where to now, then?"

The Doctor was about to answer when his phone rang.

Rose looked at him, confused. "Is that... you?"

The Doctor took the phone out of his jacket pocket and stared at it. Only a select few people had this number. A _very_ select few. Yet the number was unknown to him.

"Who is it?"

The Doctor frowned. "I'm not sure. And I don't like not knowing."

He went to flip open the phone, but it suddenly ceased. In the top bar of the screen was a little picture of a white phone. It meant there was a voice-mail. He clicked on the symbol and put it to his ear.

Rose stood on her toes, straining to hear the call as well. The Doctor bent forward slightly and turned the phone so they could both hear the boy talking.

_"Hey, Doc. It's Dean. You, uh, you just gave me this number a couple weeks ago... but you told me to call you if I was in trouble. Well... I'm in trouble, Doc. Big trouble, Doc. I really screwed up... Just, please come. I'm in Flagstaff... Thank you."_

The phone call ended, and the Doctor shut it off.

"Dean?" Rose repeated. "Dean, like that little boy Dean?" She recalled the four year old boy they met just a week ago. But that boy on the phone was much older. Could that be him?

"I suppose so. I didn't give him my number..." _Yet..._

"And he's certainly older now. I guess you'll be seeing him again."

The Doctor turned back to the console, plugging his phone into it. "Apparently. But he's in trouble, now. So we'll be seeing him pretty soon."

Rose backed away to give him some space. "Do you know what year he's in? All he said was Flagstaff."

"No, but I can trace it. Hold on to something, Rose. Allons-y!"

…

Dean could hear the TARDIS from inside the convenient store. He was next in line, but he left his stuff and ran out, searching for the Doctor's little blue ship.

He found it in the alley way behind the store. PUBLIC CALL BOX, he read.

He waited for the doors to open, and when it did, a short blonde girl stepped out first. She stopped in her tracks when she saw him staring at her. "I know you,"

Rose just stared at him. "Um, you do?" Then, realization washed over her. "Oh! Dean?"

The Doctor hopped out behind her. He looked younger, somehow, Dean realized. And he recognized the girl, just barely. This Doctor was the one he had first met, when he was real little. Not the one who had given him the number in the first place. "Doctor?"

"Dean, I assume." The Doctor smiled, holding out his hand. "I apologize. I haven't seen you since you were four. But it seems you've seen me."

Dean nodded, accepting the handshake. This Doctor was different. He was... happier, maybe. "Yeah, a few times. Actually, I saw you like a month ago."

"So I heard. You know Rose, right?"

Dean nodded, shaking her hand as well. He hadn't seen her since he was little, but something told him he shouldn't mention it. There was a reason she hadn't been with the Doctor later on, and he didn't want to give anything away. "Of course. How you doin', Rose?"

Rose smiled. "I'm good, thanks." He was nothing like the little boy she had met. He must have been 16, now, and those extra years really changed him.

"Dean, I got your call. You said you were in trouble."

Dean's face dropped. His jaw clenched, and the Doctor almost regretted mentioning it. "Yeah, I called. A few weeks ago."

_Oh_. "A few weeks ago? I'm sorry, I must have gotten the date wrong..." The TARDIS was always sending him to the wrong time or place.

"Yeah, I guess you did." Dean definitely was angry about it, that much was obvious to the Doctor.. But he wasn't sure all that anger was directed at the Doctor.

"Again, I'm so sorry, Dean. Did you figure it out? Are you okay now?"

Dean nodded. "My brother... you remember me talking about him? Sammy? He, uh... he ran away." Dean explained, trying to control the thundering emotions he couldn't help but feel. "I thought he was just... gone. He didn't leave a note or anything. It was just me and him, and I couldn't find him... So I called you."

"Oh my gosh! That's terrible... Just you and him? Where was your dad?" Rose asked, innocently. She remembered how he had recently lost his mother last time, but his dad was still around.

"He was-" Dean was going to say he was _hunting_, duh. But then he realized they didn't know. They didn't know about his hunting, and his life. To them, he was just some regular teenage boy. "He was at work. He... travels a lot for his job, so..."

"But you found him? He's alright now?" The Doctor was more than a little concerned by the news. Children running away is never a good sign. Sure, some kids are just irresponsible or over-dramatic. But a lot of the time, they have a good reason for leaving home. What was Sam's?

"Yeah. After I couldn't get a hold of you, I called my dad. He came home right away, and..." Dean didn't mean to pause there, but both Rose and the Doctor noticed his hesitation. "He found him. He was hiding out somewhere with a dog or something..."

"Well I am so sorry for what happened, Dean. I tried to make it on time. I hope I can make it up to you..." The Doctor looked down at Rose, who nodded her agreement.

Dean smiled politely, but he knew it wasn't the Doctor's fault. He didn't blame him. _He_ was the one who lost Sam.

There was nothing he wanted from the Doctor that he hadn't given him by just showing up... since he honestly didn't expect him at all.

_But..._ He thought to himself. _There's someone_ else _in need of his help..._

"Actually, Doc, I think you can."


	15. Bigger on the Inside

_**I am completely overwhelmed by the amount of views, reviews, follows, and favorites for this story. You guys are absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for your continued support!**_

_**I hope you enjoy this chapter! There's going to be a lot more Sam in the next few chapters, so I hope you like it! Thank you!**_

"Are you sure about this, Dean?"

"Yeah, Doc, I'm sure. Trust me, Sam will love it."

Dean wanted the Doctor to show Sam the TARDIS, just like he had shown Dean when he was four, and when he broke his arm. He was a little hesitant to tell Sam the truth. He had been lying about it for so long...

When he first saw the Doctor, Sam was just a baby. But he had told his Dad. John hadn't believed him, though, and scolded him for making up stories. The next time he saw the Doctor, he hadn't told anyone, in fear of being mocked again. Of course, in their defense, the Doctor was pretty unbelievable.

And in all honesty, Dean kind of enjoyed having the Doctor all to himself. He had very little privacy in his hunters life, so it was nice to have this one thing a secret.

But this was for Sam, and he would give anything for his little brother.

Sam had been in such a bad mood lately. He had been acting strange before he ran out, but he had been so much worse since John dragged him back. Dean hoped that by sharing this with him, he could make things right with Sam.

"Alright. Where do you want to take him?" The Doctor was hesitant. He didn't know Dean very well, but he _did_ give Dean his number. That was _huge_, and he knew he could trust his own judgment, even if he hadn't _judged_ anything, yet. But he didn't give Sam his number. Apparently, Sam didn't even _know_ about the Doctor. He wasn't sure if he was comfortable with taking some random kid in the TARDIS. But Dean insisted he could trust the kid, so he agreed.

When they reached the motel, Dean asked them to stay in the car. "I want to talk to Sammy first, if you don't mind..."

They both agreed, so Dean ran inside.

Sam was reading, of course. Dean remembered when he used to talk to friends on the phone all the time. Now Dean wondered if the kid _had_ any friends.

Sam looked up from the book he was reading. "I thought you were going to the store."

Dean grinned. "I was. But I got something better, Sammy."

"It's _Sam_... and what is it?"

"You remember the Doctor? My friend from a month ago?"

Of course Sam remembered him. He had gone with Dean to get Dad. "I don't care about your friends, Dean." He looked back at his book.

Dean bit back his remark, and instead slid onto the bed beside him. He grabbed the book from Sam's hands, causing a loud reaction. "Sammy, listen to me. I didn't tell you everything about the Doctor."

Sam exhaled harshly, showing his disapproval. "Would you just spit it out, Dean. I'm trying to read."

"Okay, this is going to sound crazy, but just listen. The Doctor isn't human." This got Sam's attention. "He's not even from Earth."

"Dean. If you're trying to tell me-"

"Hold up, Sam. He's an alien. And I _know_ you don't believe me, and I can't blame you. But i _c__an_ prove it to you. You just gotta trust me."

"Dean, you know I _trust_ you... but-"

"Great! Come on! He's outside in the Impala." Dean stood, practically lifting Sam off the bed and onto his feet. "Oh, and don't mention the last time you met him, okay. He... uh, doesn't remember. I'll explain it later. Come on!"

Sam barely had time to throw on some shoes before Dean hustled him out the door. Sam had never seen Dean so excited over something that didn't involve killing monsters.

Sam was also worried about the whole not-human thing. It wasn't like Dean to try and befriend monsters. He was always _"shoot first, ask questions later"_. So what was different now?

Dean pulled Sam to the Impala, where the Doctor and some girl were waiting outside of it.

"Hey, Doc. Rose. This is my brother, Sam."

The Doctor smiled, extending his hand for a shake. Sam accepted it, hesitantly. "Nice to meet you, Sam. I'm the Doctor. And this is my companion, Rose."

Rose shook his hand next. "Nice to meet you, Sam."

"Nice to meet you, too..." Sam glanced at Dean.

"Alright, you ready to go?" Dean asked.

…

Sam sat in the backseat with the Doctor, which was weird because he never sat in the back when Dean drove. But Dean had offered for Rose to sit up in the front, instead.

The Doctor was tall and lanky, and he couldn't seem to stand still for very long. He was fidgeting beside Sam, and talking very loudly with Rose and Dean.

"Wait, so the planet was orbiting a _black hole_?" Dean asked, shocked. "Is that even possible?"

"It's not. This was... an exception." The Doctor and Rose exchanged a glance, thinking back to their 'adventure' in Krop Tor.

Sam sat quietly, listening on and off to the conversation. He didn't really understand what they were talking about, anyway. It was weird, seeing Dean so happy with _strangers_. Sam wasn't even sure Dean knew how to _make_ friends. The closest thing he had were girlfriends, and they didn't last long.

"Here we go..." Dean pulled the Impala into the convenient store parking lot. "The TARDIS is right around here," Dean turned around, addressing Sam.

"The TARDIS?" Sam faintly remembered that being the name of the Doctor's car.

"Time and Relative Dimensions in Space." The Doctor explained, like that would make any sense to Sam.

"Yeah, exactly." Dean smiled. "Let's go."

The group walked behind the store into the alley way, where the TARDIS was parked.

To the Doctor, the TARIDS meant home, much like the Impala did to Dean. Hundreds of years ago, he saw the TARDIS for the first time, and he fell in love. It meant so much to him. It meant he was never truly alone.

To Rose, it was a symbol of her new life with the Doctor. She knew she would be spending the rest of her life in the TARIDS, with him. She knew she would see new worlds and new people she would have never even imagined before him. And the TARDIS was going to get her there.

To Dean, the TARDIS was adventure. It was a symbol of everything he wanted. The Impala could take him all over the US, but the TARDIS could take him all over the universe. It's what he always wanted.

But to Sam, it was just a big, blue box.

"Police call box?" He asked, aloud. "What is this?"

"This," The Doctor laid his hand on the side. "Is my ship. The TARDIS."

"Your ship?" Sam stared at the box. It was so tiny. How did one person fit comfortably in it, let alone four?

"Just wait till you get inside, Sam." Rose creaked open the door, not enough for anyone to see inside, and slipped in.

The Doctor grinned, and did the same. "Come on, boys."

Dean patted Sam on the back, motioning for him to go. "You first, Sammy."

"_Sam_... and... you should go first."

Deans shrugged. "Suit yourself, man." He opens the door and went in. Every time he entered the TARDIS was better than the last. He could feel the magic of the place. The Doctor and Rose were up at the console.

Sam stared at the box. This _must _have been some kind of trick. There's no way they were all in there. And there was no way this was a _ship_, or that the Doctor was _alien_. He was weird, sure, but he looked just as human as anyone else.

Finally, Sam decided just to go in. Whatever happens, he couldn't just wait outside forever.

When he opened the door, he felt his heart skip a beat. He expected a cramp space, not... this.

He took a few steps in, reaching out with his hands to prove to his brain that this was real. He realized he hadn't breathed since he had came in.

"What do you think, Sammy?" Dean draped his arm across his little brothers shoulders. "You impressed?"

Usually Sam would brush him off, but right now he was in shock. "I... I don't understand... it's... it's bigger on the inside!"

The Doctor couldn't help his grin. He loved this part. "That it is. Courtesy of the Time Lords. They were masters in technology. At least... in comparison to human invention so far."

Rose rolled her eyes.

"You wanna see what she can do, Sammy?"

Sam looked up at Dean, staring at him. Slowly, he nodded. "What can it do?"


	16. New Planets

_**Thank you all for your continued support! As always, I love getting feedback- but especially suggestions. Please let me know! Thank you to those who have already commented, and those who communicate through follows and favorites!**_

_**hope you enjoy this chapter, and that you're as excited by the ending as I am!**_

The whole TARDIS shook. It was obvious that they were moving, now, yet Sam still couldn't believe it. He thought he had seen a lot of weird shit in his life, but he had never seen anything like _this_.

The hardest thing for Sam to wrap his mind around was that Dean _knew_ about this. How long had he been sneaking off with the Doctor? Months? Years? And he had never even _tol__d _Sam about him until he accidentally ran into him.

"Is it supposed to have so much... turbulence?"

Rose laughed, grabbing onto the console. "You get used to it. He actually can't drive, no matter what he says."

"I _can_ drive my ship, thank you very much!" The Doctor argued, half-heartedly. "I've been driving her for hundreds of years! I taught myself!"

_Hundreds of years?_

Dean grabbed Sam's shoulder. He didn't say anything, but he grinned at Sam, raising his eyebrows. Sam half-smiled back.

They often communicated without actually saying anything. It made it easy for them to talk when there were other people around. Sam knew Dean wanted him to be excited, and he couldn't say that he wasn't at least _intrigued._

Finally, the TARIDS landed.

"Where are we?" Sam asked when he was sure they wouldn't move anymore.

"See for yourself." The Doctor had been saving this one for awhile- for just the right people to share it with. It was brand new planet in the Andromeda Galaxy. It was all lava and volcanic rock, but it was truly a sight to see. And the atmosphere was enough for them to breathe safely.

Sam glanced around. "Well, I'm not going first."

"Come on, Dean," Rose reached out and grabbed his hand. "We'll go first."

Dena followed her to the TARDIS door, and opened it for her.

It was _amazing_. It reminded Dean of a post-apocalyptic landscape. They were surrounded by mountains and volcanoes. There were cooling pools of lava at the crest of each hill. The sky was a reddish-orange color, and it was accented by two smaller suns.

"Oh my God..."

Rose squeezed his hand. "I wonder where we are..." She whispered.

Inside the ship, the Doctor stood with Sam. "You wanna go see?"

Sam bit his bottom lip. "I guess."

"Don't be scared. Trust me, I took us somewhere safe." There were no life forms on this planet, yet- at least not intelligent ones. As long as they managed not to fall into molten lava, they would be alright.

"Dean said you won't remember meeting me, last time."

The Doctor tried to maintain his smile. "This... ship... she doesn't just travel in space. She goes through time, too."

Sam took in the information, shaking his head. This was too much to consider right now. _Let's just go outside..._ "Alright. I'm ready."

The Doctor let Sam go first, but Sam could barely take a step outside before freezing.

The Doctor slipped out beside him, and ran up in front of all three of them. "So, what do you think?"

"This is incredible." Dean gaped. "Much better than last time... but, you wouldn't remember that."

"No... sorry."

"So where are we?" Rose asked.

"You are witnessing the birth of a new planet. One day this planet will be a center of life, technology, and evolution. But you, my friends, get to see it before it was any of that." The Doctor loved seeing planets being born, just as he loved seeing stars meet their end. He had lived a long time, and he had seen every part of the life-death spectrum.

"There's no way..." Sam literally could not believe his eyes.

"That's the Doctor, for ya," Dean glanced back at Sam's voice. "Glad you finally came out to see?"

Sam nodded. "This... this is..." He was at a loss for words- which if you asked Dean, was a pretty amazing feat.

"Well, we've got to explore, right?" Rose had let go of Dean's hand, and was looking around for safe places to traverse.

"What do you say, Sammy? You wanna go?" Dean glanced back at his little brother.

"Uh... yeah, of course!"

"Alright, let's have some fun!"

…

"Watch out, Doctor!" Rose called as he tried to step onto a rock poking out of the lava. She swore traveling with him was like traveling with a child.

"I'm 900 years old, Rose. I think I can t-whoa!" He jumped backwards onto the ground, narrowly avoiding falling into the pit.

"He's 900 years old?" Sam whispered to Dean as Rose and the Doctor bantered back and forth.

Dean shrugged. "He's an alien, Sam. A... a Time Lord? I don't really know..." Dean scanned the area, and noticed something shining from behind the hill. "Hold on, Sammy..." Dean ran around the hill and found the object.

It was some kind of metal, he knew that much. He tried to pick it off the ground, but it was dug in pretty well. He knelt beside it and carefully began to dig around it, releasing it slowly from the rocks and dirt. It was surprisingly cool for the environment it was in, considering it must have been here for quite some time. But there was no one on this planet. Where could it come from?

He glanced up briefly, but he didn't see anyone anymore- they were on the other side of the hill- but he could faintly hear the Doctor blabbering on in the distance.

He finally managed to loosen the object, pulling it out of the ground.

"What the hell?" It seemed to be a metal head. The front had two dark holes that seemed to be eyes. Two poles came out of either side akin to handles.

He brushed of the dirt and tried to see the inner mechanics, but it seemed to be emptied out to just the shell.

As he knelt in the rocks, his hunter instincts suddenly kicked in. He could hear someone behind him, away from the rest of the group.

He barely had any time to react when he turned around.

A large, metal hand grabbed him roughly by the shoulder, the other one reaching out toward him, menacingly.

"YOU WILL BE UPGRADED." A robotic voice rang out of the machine that shared a head with the one he found in the ground. "UPGRADING IS COMPULSORY."


	17. The Cybermen

"Did you hear that?"

The Doctor stopped, listening. He could have sworn he heard something from behind the hill. But that was impossible... this planet should've been void of intelligent life. He glanced around at blank faces. "Where's Dean?"

Sam looked around. "I... I don't know. He said he saw something, I think. He went behind there..."

The Doctor sighed. It must have just been Dean, then. "I can't believe I forgot to establish my one rule- no wandering off!"

"Like we were going to listen, anyway." Rose smiled.

The Doctor had to agree.

…

Dean's head was covered with a cloth bag, and he was completely restrained by this robot. If he wasn't sure it was about to kill him, he might have thought it was pretty awesome. But, no. It was just an asshole.

"Let me go you stupid son of a bitch!" Dean's yells were muffled by the bag, and he was pretty sure no one was listening anyway.

He was struggling to walk as the thing dragged him along, and he felt the rocky floor below him turn into smooth metal.

Suddenly, the robot released his hold on Dean, and Dean tumbled onto the ground. The bag over his head was pulled off, and he could finally see his surroundings.

He was in what appeared to be a futuristic dungeon. There were a total of four cells, each with nothing in them- except what appeared to be blood in one of them. Dean found himself in one of the other cells, stuck behind the bars.

The robot who caught him was standing outside of the bars, staring at him. "Dude! What the hell? Let me out of here?" The robot did not respond. "Hello? Can you hear me? I don't know who you are, but I swear to God, you better let me out..."

"We do not fear humans." The robot spoke each word like it was it's own sentence. "Especially not ones out of their time."

Dean was about to find another retort, but then the robot turned to leave. "Wait! You can't- " the door shut automatically behind him. "-leave me here..." Dean glanced around at the empty cells. He was all alone.

This was supposed to be a nice trip. All he wanted to do was do something nice for his little brother- _Wait... Sam!_ Dean thought, desperately. _Where is he? Is he okay?_

"Hey! Robot guy! HEY!" Dean shouted as loud as he could. He had to find out more about who he was dealing with. What if he had friends? What if they found Sam, and took him somewhere else?

"Please come back!"

…

"Dean?" Sam called out. "Dean! Where are you?"

The Doctor and Rose were right behind him. Dean had apparently wandered off, but they weren't sure where. There was really no place to go that wasn't open, and easily visible from where they were. "Dean!"

Rose saw something in the sand. It was right around the area Dean had gone off to. She ran over to it and picked it up. As soon as she saw what it was, her heart sank. "Doctor? You better come here..."

The Doctor ran over to her, with Sam close behind. "What is that?" Sam asked, staring at the metal head.

The Doctor knew right away. "Where did you find that?"

Rose pointed. "It was right here, in the sand. Just... sitting on top like it had been tossed aside."

"Why? What is it?" Sam tried again.

"But that's... that's impossible! How could that be?"

"Doctor? Rose? Hello? My brother is missing here. If you think this is important... I'd appreciate being filled in."

The Doctor took the head from Rose. "It's a Cybermen head."

"Cybermen?"

"Yes. I've... met them before. Several versions, actually. Their from another planet, Mondas. They were human once, but they began experimenting with cybernetic parts in order to survive. Overtime they've become less and less human. Now they're... they're bad news, that's what they are." The Doctor's head was spinning. The Cybermen were a bad sign.

"Oh my God... Didn't you do some research on this place before you took us here?" Sam accused.

"Well..." The Doctor turned away. "That's not the important part. The real question is: How did this head get here? There shouldn't be anybody on this planet!"

"Well, we are." Rose pointed out. "And if we could get here, there's no saying that someone else couldn't have found a way, as well."

Sam was trying to keep up, but it all blew his mind. Regardless, he knew there were more pressing matters on hand. "You think they took Dean?"

The Doctor frowned. "It's certainly possible. But if they did, that's bad news for Dean. They're going to try and..."

"And what?"

The Doctor sighed. "Last time I came across the Cybermen," He glanced over at Rose. "They were trying to convert people. Trying to humans like them."

"Shit! What are we gonna do?" Sam felt his heart pounding. He had to find his brother, and fast.

"We have to figure out where they have him." Rose answered. "Probably in whatever base they have here. We find them, they'll lead us to Dean."

Sam could only imagine how Dean must have felt right now. If these... Cybermen, or whatever- looked like that metal head did, Dean would have no idea what he was dealing with. And who knows what they were doing with him. He must be scared... even if he wouldn't admit it later.

…

Dean was terrified. He didn't know where or Rose or the Doctor was. He had been looking for a way out of the cell, but he didn't even see a keypad or lock or anything. He didn't know what to do.

He heard a door open, and he froze. The robot entered the room, the door closing behind him again. He stood in the center of the four cells, and just sat there.

"Hello?" Dean waited for him to do something. "Can you... can you hear me?"

"I can hear you." It answered. Then it went silent again.

"Who are you?"

"That is not important. "

Dean sighed, grasping the bars with his hands. He had to know _something_... "What are you going to do with me?"

"You will be upgraded. You will become one of us." Dean gulped, tightening his grip on the bars. The robot seemed to notice. "Do not fear. After your conversion you will never feel fear again."

"Yeah, uh, no thanks, man. I don't want to be... upgraded, or whatever. I'm fine how I am." That meant there _were_ more of them. It wasn't just this one. Were there humans (or aliens) controlling them, or are they sentient?

"Upgrading us compulsory."

_Oh, God... where's Sammy?_*Dean hoped that they hadn't found him yet. _Where's the Doctor?_


	18. All Monsters Were Once Human

"Look... robot-thing..." Dean knew his only hope was that the Doctor would find him before he was "upgraded." He knew his best chance was to either convince this robot to let him go, or to distract it long enough for the Doctor to get to him. "You have to let me go. I have to get back to my little brother. I'm not even supposed to _be_ on this stupid planet." The robot did not respond. "And neither are _you_, I might add. Why are you even here? This planet is deserted."

"Our ship crashed, here." The robot explained, much to Dean's surprise. "We are currently rebuilding it. But supplies are scarce."

"Well, duh. There's nothing here." Dean sighed, sitting down on the floor. "So... if you're going to make me into one of you... does that mean you used to be like me? Human, I mean."

"I was human once. I was blocked by feelings and conscience. Now I am better than that."

_It used to be human..._ It wasn't just some machine built by some power-hungry aliens. It was a _monster._

"Look. I need to get out of here. Okay? My brother needs me. You understand that? Do you even have a _concept_ of family?"

"We understand what family is, but we do not have one. Not anymore. And you will feel the same way, soon." The robot was still standing in the center of the room.

Dean put his head in his hands. There was no way to rationalize with a robot. They didn't have any feelings to manipulate. He didn't have any ambitions to take advantage of. He just had a mission. And his mission was to kill him. Or at least change him into something unrecognizable.

"You were human once. You have to understand-" Dean tried. "He's my baby brother. He's _everything_ to me. Somewhere deep down, you must understand!"

The robot was silent, and Dean figured he had lost the conversation. He gave up, and started to plan a different escape.

"I think... I had a brother." Deans head shot up at the sound of the robots voice. "When I was human."

"And did you love him? More than anything else?"

"Love is ineffectual. It is what keeps you humans from dominating each other."

Dean felt his frustration increasing. He wasn't getting _anything _from this stupid robot. "Look, man. Could you at least tell me what you are? I mean. You obviously know I'm human. It's only fair."

"We are the Cybermen." The Cyberman answered.

"Cybermen? Hm..." Dean figured that was something. Maybe the Doctor knew about them. "Thanks. I'm Dean, by the way."

"Names are unimportant, Human."

Dean sighed. It was going to be a long time in that cell, he could feel it. He just wished the Doctor would hurry up and find him.

…

"DEAN! DEAN!" Sam would not stop calling his brothers name, and honestly the Doctor was starting to get annoyed. But he stayed silent about it because he understood his worry. The Doctor was worried, too.

"Sam, I don't think that's going to work." The Doctor was glad when Rose put her hand on his shoulder, temporarily shushing him. "If he _was_ taken, he probably won't be able to hear you. But you _will_ alert the Cybermen."

Sam seemed to respond to Rose's gentle words, but he still rolled his eyes. "_Cybermen_... I feel like I'm in the middle of a really bad sci-fi movie."

Rose giggled. "It felt like that for me for a while. But don't worry, you get used to it."

The Doctor was only half-listening to their conversation. He held his sonic screwdriver out in front of him, scanning for, well, _anything_. So far there was nothing out of the ordinary. And no Dean.

"I just don't understand where he could have gone." Sam sighed, running his hands through his hair. "Of course Dean had to go and get himself in trouble."

The Doctor smiled a little at that. He didn't know Dean very well, yet, but he liked the kid. He and Rose got along well, and he was certainly full of adventure. He'd make a good companion when he was a little older. "Your brother's much of a troublemaker?"

"That's all he ever does." _Which is why he shouldn't be running off with strangers._ Sam thought to himself. He knew his brother was intelligent (even if not in the same way as Sam,) and brave, and did everything he could to take care of Sam- but he had no idea how to take care of himself. He was going to get himself killed one day, and Sam certainly didn't want it to happen on some alien planet.

"Whoa, whoa..." The Doctor stopped dead in his tracks, causing Rose and Sam to do the same.

"What is it, Doctor?" Rose asked.

The Doctor pulled back his screwdriver, examining it. "I've got something... there's something here."

Sam glanced around, but couldn't see anything. "What are you talking about? There's nothing here!"

"I know. It seems to be invisible."

…

Dean had dozed off when he was awoken by the loud sound of the door being thrust open. He stood up and pressed his body against the bars, trying to see who was coming.

Another Cyberman- the first one he had seen other than Mr. Roboto over there, marched into the room.

"We are almost ready for the conversion." The new Cyberman stated ominously.

"Affirmative."

The new Cyberman turned mechanically toward Dean. Dean back away from the cell bars, feeling slightly off-put by the blank expression staring back at him.

After what seemed like forever, the Cyberman turned away again, and left the room, closing the door hard behind him.

"Dude, what's up with your friend? He's like extra creepy."

The Cyberman did not respond.

_Jesus Christ... I gotta get out of here._


	19. Panic Mode

"What do you mean, invisible?" Sam thought his life couldn't get any more ridiculous, but obviously he was wrong. He seemed to be a crazy magnet, or something. No wonder he'd never be normal.

"My Sonic Screwdriver- that's this thing, here, picked up some frequency waves from right in front of us, just a few more feet. But there's nothing there." He pointed in front of him, where it seemed to be dirt and lava going on for miles. "So it must be invisible, somehow. That's pretty impressive technology, but I have no doubt the Cybermen could have gotten a hold of it."

Sam just stared at him. "Does this sorta thing happen to you often?"

"Well..." The Doctor decided not to answer that one.

Rose, meanwhile, was slowly walking foreword, her hands held out in front of her. Even if it was invisible, she'd still be able to feel it, right?

"That's great..." Sam muttered, turning away from the Doctor. "Dean really has a way for picking out friends that are gonna get him killed."

The Doctor didn't have anything to say to that, but luckily he didn't have the chance. "Doctor! I found it!" Rose called.

She had her hands pressed firmly against... well, nothing. But she could feel it. Whatever it was, it was huge and metal. She couldn't find the end to it.

The Doctor ran forward, followed by Sam. Sam watched as the Doctor's screwdriver, which looked nothing like an actual screwdriver, began to glow bright blue again, and make a buzzing sound. "Hold on, I think I can do something."

If Sam hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would have never believed it. Out of nowhere, the _thing_ just appeared in front of him. Where there used to be just rocks and dirt, suddenly there was a huge metal structure. "What _is_ that?"

The Doctor stared up at it. "It seems to be a ship. I think we found the Cybermen's ship."

…

"I'm sooo bored..." Dean's hands were grasping the bars as he leaned backwards as far as he could. "You robots don't know how to entertain your prisoners."

"Why would we entertain prisoners?" The Cyberman asked.

Dean shook his head. The only thing worse than getting kidnapped by monster was getting kidnapped by a monster with no sense of humor. "It's just polite..." He sighed.

Suddenly, a loud alarm began to go off. It blared through speakers he couldn't even see. Dean had to cover his ears.

The Cyberman stood. "Stay here."

"Where would I go?" Dean yelled back, watching him go.

Soon, the alarm shut off, and Dean was alone in silence until the Cyberman returned.

"What the hell was that? What happened?" Dean was pretty sure he wouldn't get an answer, but he had to try.

Luckily, the Cyberman cooperated. "Intruders were found. They have been taken into custody."

Dean tried not to panic. "Intruders? How many?"

"Three."

_Oh shit... _"What do you mean, taken into custody? Shouldn't they be in here?"

"Negative. One had been identified as the Doctor." Dean almost felt relieved to hear that the Doctor had at least come for him, but his relief soon turned to fear. "The Doctor and his companions will be executed, immediately."

…

"Great plan, Doctor." Rose whispered sarcastically as they and Sam were dragged through the ship. "_Let's just walk on in... talk to the Cybermen. It'll be fine..._"

"I'm working on it," The Doctor muttered back. He could tell by the condition of the ship that they had crash-landed. He was trying to come up with some plan, but it wasn't looking good for them.

Sam would be thinking of am escape plan, since that's what his dad would tell him to do. But he was too occupied looking for Dean.

The Cybermen were much bigger than he had imagined them to be, and much more terrifying. The one that was dragging him had its huge, hard hands wrapped around his arms, and it was staring to hurt. He knew it was useless to fight back, so he let himself be taken into the room.

"Doctor." One of the Cybermen addressed. The others let released them, but stood by as if waiting for them to try and run.

Other than the three that escorted them, there was one Cyberman who seemed to be the leader, and another one standing by.

"Sorry about intruding like that," The Doctor apologized. "We don't mean you any harm- we're just looking for our friend."

"The Doctor is dangerous. Not to be trusted." The leader ignored his apology. "He and his companions will be executed at once."

"What?!" The three of them exclaimed.

"Wait- you can't just do that!" Sam yelled. "I just want my brother!"

"Wait, wait, I can help you!" The Doctor promised. "I know your ship has crashed. I can help you get it back up!"

That seemed to get the Cyberman's attention. They _did_ need the ship working, again. It was quite an offer. He turned to the Cyberman beside him. "Go back to the prisoner. We are almost ready for him."

_Dean..._ Sam knew that the prisoner was his brother, but what were they ready for? What were they going to do to him? "No, wait! Doctor, that's Dean! Please!"

The other Cyberman left, but right before Sam swore he looked right at him.

The Doctor continued. "Is it just the five of you? That doesn't seem like very many."

"We have a prisoner to upgrade." The leader explained.

"That's not what I asked." The Doctor glanced around. "I also noticed your ship seems rather... unstable. Whatever fuel you're using... if you don't get the ship working soon... well, it won't be pretty."

"That is not of your concern." The leader dismissed him. He looked up at the others, saying "Keep them here. Don't let them leave," before leaving, himself.

"Doctor..." Rose said, quietly.

"I'm working on it..."

…

"No, no, no, you can't do that." Dean was in full panic mode. "I know you don't care, but you have to listen to me. That's my brother out there! I'll do anything!"

"This ship will not make it much longer." The Cyberman said, seemingly ignorant to Dean's plea's. "It does not matter, anymore. We are all going to die."

Dean slammed his fists on the bars. He _had_ to get out of here, and fast. "No, we're not. If we just get off the ship-"

"Our leader will not allow it." He explained. "We fix the ship, or go down with it."

"So? You don't have to listen to him!" Dean begged. "You can come with us! Just... help me get to my brother and my friends! I can help you!"

The Cyberman was silent, and Dean knew he was done for. What was he trying to do? Tug at the heart strings of a _r__obot_?

"I remember."

Dean glanced up as the Cyberman spoke, finally. "Remember what?"

"I do not remember my name. But I remember my brother."

The Cyberman walked out of Dean's view, but he didn't hear the door open. Instead he heard a low hum, followed by a loud click. Dean quickly backed away from the bars as they shot open.

Dean hesitantly left the cell, and saw the Cyberman next to a small panel in the wall. "I will help you. Dean."


	20. Glitch

_**You guys are amazing! Thank you all for reading and reviewing! It's a pleasure writing for you! I just updated the other day, but I already had this one written and I figured I'd share it with you right away! Tell me what you think! 3**_

"Where are they being held?" Dean asked as he followed the Cyberman through the halls of the ship.

"Up here. Near the control room."

Dean kept checking behind them, paranoid that one of the other Cybermen would catch them. If they were caught, Dean would certainly be killed rather than converted like originally planned, although he couldn't tell which was worse. And this Cyberman probably would be, too.

"Hey... why are you even helping me?" Dean had to ask. It wouldn't be doing him any good. Even if he made it off the ship, he'd be completely alone. Maybe that didn't bother him. He was a robot, after all.

"I seem to be experiencing... technical difficulties."

"Technical difficulties?"

"A glitch in my design."

A smile formed on Deans lips. "What, like feelings?" The Cyberman didn't respond. "You know what? You ain't as bad as I thought, Cyberman. Not bad at all."

…

"Doctor-"

"I'm working on it!" The Doctor frowned. There were still three Cybermen in the room with them, so there was no where for them to go that they wouldn't be seen. They had to find Dean, and they had to get off of this ship, fast. He could tell by the smell that the fuel they were using was Rydhonian. It was highly efficient and a little went a long way- but it was also easily combustible. Normally it wouldn't be too much of a problem, but the situation wasn't normal. They were on a newborn planet. It was _hot_. Not to mention the active volcanoes that would go off unpredictably. This was a bad place for it to be: too much longer and it was going to explode.

Suddenly, the door opened, and another Cyberman entered. He addressed the three guards. "Our leader has called for you in the main engine room."

"What about the prisoners?" One asked.

"I will deal with the prisoners."

The other three left one by one, leaving Sam, Rose, and the Doctor with the last one.

Sam gulped, letting Rose grab his arm and pull him back toward her.

The Doctor racked his brain for everything he knew about the Cybermen's weapons. They could electrocute them, or they also had smaller energy weapons in their arm. If they tried to electrocute them, they could make a run for it. But if he took out the blaster...

When the door was firmly shut, the Cyberman turned towards them. "Are you the friends of Dean Winchester?"

"Y-yes..." Sam answered, hesitantly.

"I am here on his behalf," the Cyberman continued. "To rescue you."

…

The three guards made their way to the engine room. They didn't even think to consider that the other Cyberman could be lying. They didn't lie- not to each other- they weren't programmed that way.

When they found the room, they opened the door and entered, but found nothing. The leader was not there.

Behind them, they didn't see Dean sneaking up behind them with a blaster- Cybermen tech. "Hello, fellas," They all turned at his voice. "I'm glad you could make it. I have a few concerns over my whole, pending-conversion."

He shot the weapon at the nearest robot. The beam exploded on impact, tearing it's metal frame apart. The force of the blast sent Dean flying backwards, but he managed not to fall down completely.

The other two went for him immediately. One lifted it's arm, and a small barrel automatically revealed itself from the casing.

It began to shoot at Dean, causing Dean to run.

He just had to dodge a few bullets, and meet the others outside. Easy, right?

One of the bullets hit his leg, and Dean fell flat on his face. He groaned, picking himself up and shooting the blaster again, missing this time.

The Cybermen were approaching, and he shot two more times before hitting one of them.

The distraction gave Dean enough time to get up again and start running.

He wasn't really sure where he was going. He was blindfolded when he entered the ship, and he wasn't sure how to get out. The Cyberman had given him a rough idea of where the exit was, but in the commotion, Dean had lost track of where he was on the ship. So he just ran for it, ignoring the pain in his leg.

_Just one more..._ Dean was telling himself when he turned a corner. He stopped dead in his tracks as he came face-to-face with another, much larger Cyberman. The leader.

"Well, sh-" Dean spun around, but the other guard was almost to him now. He looked for another hallway, or another room he could get to, but there was none. He was trapped.

The leader raised his hand, reaching toward Dean. "There is no where to run, human." It warned, mechanically. "It is time for your conversion."

…

"_Your_ here to rescue us?" The Doctor asked, bewildered.

"Affirmative. Dean sent me. I am to bring you off this ship."

"Well then let's go!" Rose didn't want to be on here when the whole thing exploded. She didn't even want to be on this _planet _when that happened.

"Wait- where's Dean?" Sam was not leaving until he was sure his brother was safe.

"He will meet us there." The Cyberman could faintly hear guns shooting, and knew they had to go. "We should go quickly. It is unsafe."

The Doctor was hesitant to follow a Cyberman. He had tried reasoning with them before, but no such luck. But maybe Dean really did get through to one. They'd have to figure that out later. For now, they had to get off of the ship.

He turned to Rose and Sam. "Well, what are you waiting for? Allonsy!"


	21. Escape

The Cyberman led them back outside to freedom, where Dean was supposed to meet them. But he wasn't there.

"Where is he?" Sam demanded as soon as their feet hit the rocks. "You said he'd be here."

"Affirmative. He was to take care of the others and meet us." The Cyberman explained.

"_What?_" Sam asked, bewildered. "You sent him after four of you guys? What the hell?!"

"Calm down, Sam. Your brother seems very capable." The Doctor would never have had Dean do that alone, either, but this wasn't the time to argue. "I'll go and get him. "

"Negative. Dean was clear. You were not to reenter the ship. Especially the small one." The Cyberman turned towards Sam.

"No way! I'm not leaving him in there!" Sam protested, and the Doctor and Rose agreed.

Sam looked at the Cyberman, who seemed to be thinking, or processing or whatever robots do. Finally, the robot said, "Stay. I will make sure he gets out."

"But-"

"Stay." He didn't wait for a response this time. He went back inside.

The Cyberman didn't understand what was happening to him as he went back for the boy. He had been this way for a long time; so long he thought he had forgotten all about his human life. But now... something had changed. It was like he was becoming human all over again.

It was not a comforting thought.

…

Dean ducked under the leaders arm and ran. His leg stung every time it hit the ground, but he had no time to stop. He looked back slightly and tried to shoot backwards, but missed every time. The blasters seemed to handle differently than normal guns. He was having a hard time adjusting.

He turned a corner and ended up at a door. He found the panel beside it and started pressing buttons until it opened. He had barely enough time to get inside the room and close the door before the two Cybermen were there.

The room was pitch black, and Dean couldn't see a thing with the door closed. He knew they would open it in a matter of seconds, and then he'd be toast. He backed as far away as possible until he felt his back against a wall.

After a few moments, he realized they weren't coming.

He strained his ears, but he couldn't hear anything.

Hesitantly, he approached the door, pressing his ear against it. He could hear struggling outside, and the sound of metal hitting metal. _What's going on out there?_

He didn't want to open the door, but he knew there was a strong possibility of Sam or Rose or the Doctor being out there. He was supposed to meet them outside, and they must have noticed his absence.

"Come on, Dean. Stop being such a bitch..."

When the door opened, he didn't see anything at first. His gaze fell to the floor where one if the Cybermen were laying. It looked like he had been electrocuted or something, Dean couldn't tell.

He stayed low, running over to the body and searching it for weapons. It didn't have anything Dean could actually use.

Again, he heard fighting, and as her rounded the corner he saw two Cybermen. One was obviously the leader, judging by size. The other...

They were fighting, and the Cyberman that had helped Dean seemed to be losing.

_He came back for me..._

Dean aimed his blaster at the leader, but he was too close to the other one. He didn't want to risk taking them both out.

"Hey! Cyber-dick!" Dean called, causing both Cybermen to stop. "You wanna upgrade me? Now's your chance!"

The leader let go of the other Cyberman, who fell back onto the ground. He took two steps forward and Dean pulled the trigger.

The leader went flying backwards and collapsed into an unmoving pile of scraps.

Dean limped over to the other Cyberman. He hovered over him, but had no idea how to check if he was alive or not. "Hey, hey man? Are you... are you okay?" Dean tried to shake his arm. "Dude? Can you hear me?"

"A-affirmative." The Cyberman's voice was static-y and broken.

Dean sighed in relief. "It's cool- I killed the other guy. It's just us now. But we gotta get out of here before the ship explodes."

"Not possible." The Cyberman said. "I cannot move."

"What? No! Why not?"

"Some of my wires have been severed. I cannot control my legs any longer." The Cyberman paused. "You need to hurry. There is not time left. I calculate you have less than one minute before explosion."

"Alright then, we gotta go quick!" Dean stood, dropping the blaster. He wrapped his hands around the Cyberman's arm and pulled, trying to drag him out. He wouldn't budge.

"That is not going to work." The Cyberman informed him of his odds. "With your size and age, adjusting for your leg injury, it will take you at least 9 minutes to leave while dragging me. You only have one."

"But- I can't- !" Dean dropped his arm in defeat, crouching beside him again. "I can't just leave you here. You'll die..."

"So will you if you don't."

Dean bit his lip, looking down at the Cyberman. "Thank you for helping me..."

"Thank you." The Cyberman repeated. "For helping me remember."

Dean ran as fast as he could, knowing the time was counting down. He found the front door, opening the panel and pressing buttons. The door opened and Dean stumbled outside. He fell onto his hands and knees, and barely had anytime to crawl forward before he heard the explosion.

He covered his head with his hands, and bent forward on the ground. He felt flying rubble hit his back and leg, but he ignored the pain best he could.

"Dean!" He heard Sam's voice and immediately looked up. Sam was running toward him.

"Sammy!" Dean got up in time to catch Sam's hug, which was so forceful it practically knocked him backwards. "Oh my God, you're okay!"

"_I'm_ fine! _You _barely made it out! What were you thinking?"

Dean saw Rose and the Doctor standing behind Sam. "You okay, Dean?" The Doctor asked.

Dean let go of Sam, nodding.

"You're bleeding!" Sam knelt down to see Dean's injury. "You got shot?"

Dean shrugged. "It just grazed it... I'm fine."

"What about the Cyberman you sent for us?" Rose asked. "He didn't make it back?"

Dean felt his throat tighten a bit. "No. He, uh, he didn't." He didn't really feel like explaining it.

"Can we please get out of here, now?" Sam stood and grabbed Deans hand. He had already almost lost his brother, and that was happening to often lately. He just wanted to go home.

"Yeah. Lets get you boys back home."


	22. Leaving

_**Thank you, everyone, for your support! And to think I was going to write this as a one-shot! Now, it's 22 chapters and growing, with over 7,000 views! I greatly appreciate everyone who has taken an interest in this story. **_

_**They have just finished another adventure, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it! Thank you all, again!**_

"Sorry, Dean. About how everything worked out."

Sam had already said his polite goodbyes and was waiting in the car for Dean. The Doctor brought them back to their car behind the alley way.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Dean grinned. "It was fun. It was... thrilling."

The Doctor smiled. "You know... maybe when your older some time, you could join me and Rose a little more permanently. "

Dean once again felt a pang of regret. That _would_ be awesome. He'd love to travel with the Doctor, and he knew the Doc would say yes. But Dean wasn't sure he could. He'd be leaving his family behind. He couldn't... "Yeah, maybe some time."

The Doctor nodded. "I meant to ask- how did you get that Cyberman to help you? I've never been able to... get to one quite like that."

Dean thought back to what the Cyberman had said to him. "I don't think it was me. I think he was just... different."

"Well... it's lucky he was." The Doctor held out his hand. "It was good seeing you, Dean. I'm glad I can look forward to seeing more of you in the future."

Dean accepted the handshake, smiling. "You too, Doc."

"Oh, come here." Rose pulled him into a hug. "I'll see you again, sometime."

Dean nodded, although he wasn't too sure she was right.

Dean waited outside the car until he saw the TARDIS disappear. When they were gone for good, he crawled back into the Impala. He glanced over at Sam, who was looking out the opposite direction. "You ready, Sammy?"

"Yeah, I'm ready." Sam answered flatly.

Sam made himself small in the passenger seat. He knew that Dean only brought him along because he had run away. He obviously thought that that would be enough to convince him to stay.

He wished Dean would see that there was _nothing_ he could do to make him _like_ this life. He loved his brother, and it wasn't his fault they hunted. It wasn't his fault they were constantly moving from place to place, staying in crappy motel rooms. It was all their dad's fault, and unlike Dean, he hadn't made any attempt to help. He just stuck them in another motel and took off again. As usual.

When they got back to the motel room, Sam knew Dean could tell he was upset. He could feel his brother's eyes on him, and he couldn't wait to get out of this stupid car.

But when Dean parked, he didn't get out. "What's wrong, Sammy? I can tell something's up."

"Nothing, Dean. Let's just go."

"No- wait!" Dean threw his arm over to stop Sam from leaving. "Come on, Sam. Talk to me. I thought you'd like seeing a new planet!"

"Like? I was amazed, Dean. I still can't wrap my head around it." In their weird lives, Sam didn't think anything could surprise him anymore. He was wrong.

"Then why are you so upset?"

Sam huffed, throwing his hands down on his lap. "Because you never told me about it before!" Dean seemed to be taken aback by his outburst. "You knew about time traveling and space and the Doctor- and you never told me!"

"Sammy- I told you now!"

"Yeah, but when was the first time you met him?"

Dean sighed. "I don't know..." he lied.

"Well it was a long time ago. I..." _I thought we told each other everything..._ Sam knew he hadn't really lived up to that either, but he always felt guilty keeping secrets from Dean. He thought that his brother was completely honest with him. Obviously not. "I just... I don't know. You've just kept this big secret from me- and _Dad_... I'm just... hurt, that's all."

Dean reached over, grabbing Sam's hand. "Come on, Sam. You know I would have told you if I could. I just didn't want you getting hurt, that's all."

Dean didn't mention that he kinda liked having this secret. He liked having something like the Doctor all to himself.

"Yeah, whatever... it's fine. Just forget about it." Sam opened the door and got out of the car, ignoring Dean's protests.

Sam knew that as soon as they got inside, Sam would start acting normal again, and Dean would drop it. He didn't want to argue unless he thought Sam was mad at him.

But Sam had heard what the Doctor said to Dean. He heard him ask about Dean joining him... permanently. He didn't say anything about it to his brother, because he knew what Dean would say.

_You know I'm never gonna leave you, Sammy. You're my kid brother. Who else is gonna put up with you?_

But Sam also knew none of that was true. Dean was 17 now. He couldn't stay with him and their dad forever. Dean was smart, and he was charismatic, and one day, he would move on to bigger and better things and leave Sam behind. Dean could deny it all he wanted, but he didn't really like hunting. One day... he'd just leave.

And maybe it would be with the Doctor. And then how would Sam even talk to Dean? He'd never get to see him if he was away on different planets and different times.

Sam knew eventually, Dean would leave him. He'd be crazy to stay. And what would Sam do then?

_Well,_ Sam decided. _I'll just have to leave, first._*

It wasn't long after the trip with the Doctor that Sam started planning to go to college. He worked hard in school and did his best to keep up even when they changed schools.

Dean had long given up on school, but Sam kept at it. He needed a plan for _post-Dean_. He needed something other than his dad, because, let's face it, his dad just wasn't enough.

Dean followed Sam into the motel a few minutes later, enough for Sam to calm down a bit.

Sam didn't mention it again, so Dean hoped he was over it. He wanted to say something, but he decided against it.

He didn't want to argue unless Sam was mad at him.


	23. Leaving the Nest

_**Next chapter is up, and Dean is starting his new adventure! Thank you for your reviews, they're honestly the best emails I ever get. Enjoy!**_

The next time the Doctor showed up, Dean decided it was best not to tell Sam.

It had been a few years- Dean was an adult now at nineteen. Sam was fifteen, and things seemed to only be getting worse between John and him.

All they did was argue, and Dean couldn't take it anymore. He would try to play peacekeeper, but now they just flat-out ignored him during their heated arguments. No matter where they were, their two voices seemed to fill the space entirely until the whole motel room or cheap apartment was nothing but anger and annoyance.

He had never been more excited to hear that whirling sound from outside the motel.

John and Sam didn't wake up to it, which was lucky for Dean. He didn't know what his excuse would have been for rushing out in the middle of the night.

As quickly and quietly as he could, Dean grabbed his duffel bag and shoved in some clothes. He also threw in his gun and some salt. You can never be too careful, especially with the Doctor. (The guy seemed to be a danger magnet, although, to be fair, so did Dean.)

He snuck out the front door where he found the Doctor, leaning against the motel wall. He was smiling, holding his screwdriver loosely in one hand. "You're a hard man to find, Dean Winchester."

Dean grinned. "Nice to see ya, Doc. So, what version are you right now?"

The Doctor thought about all the times he had seen Dean. He had seen him a few times as a kid, and several times as an adult. The last time he saw Dean, he was trying to close the gates of hell. He figured he wouldn't mention that part. "Donna's in the TARIDS. She's getting ready."

Dean nodded. He liked Donna. "Ready for what?"

"You'll see."

…

The TARDIS was parked across the street from the motel. They crossed the street and met Donna, who was standing beside it. "Hello, Dean! Nice to see you again."

Dean gave her a quick hug. "Thanks. Nice to see you, too."

The Doctor noticed the bag Dean had brought, and wondered how long he planned to stay. Of course, he was welcome as long as he wanted- he was nineteen now, and an adult. But he hadn't thought Dean would actually stay for the long run. He had his family to get home to. And boy, the Doctor knew how important that was to him.

"So, where are we headed?" Dean asked, trying to hold back his excitement.

"Well, I promised Donna a bit of a vacation, so we're going to the beach." The Doctor shrugged. "On the planet Vexon. The water there is a bright shade of pink, and tastes surprisingly similar to Coca-Cola."

Dean grinned. "Sounds awesome. I didn't pack a swim suit."

"We'll be find one for you. The Doctor here has a whole room of clothes in this thing." Donna promised to take him back there.

The Doctor opened the TARDIS doors and Dean walked in last, stopping to appreciate the magical feel of it. He couldn't quite place the feeling he got every time he entered, but he liked it. It was something he hadn't felt in a long time.

He followed Donna into the one of the seemingly never-ending hallways. "Come on, lets get you something to wear."

The room was huge, and racks of clothes lined the walls. They were all organized by time period. "Sometimes we pick up some stuff wherever we are. Like this," she pointed at the heart-shaped necklace around her neck. "We found this yesterday in Spain. Nice, huh? If it had been in this time, I wouldn't have even been able to afford it."

Dean brushed his hands over the dresses, jackets, and pants. "So... what do you do when you're not with the Doctor?"

Donna frowned. "Well, it's mostly a full-time job. I used to be a temp, you know. It's not much to go back to."

"I bet you were the best damn temp, around," Dean smiled, making Donna laugh.

"Alright, alright. Enough flattery. Let's get you dressed."

…

The Doctor was having trouble. The TARDIS wasn't responding. It was like she was off, somehow, but she wasn't. Everything seemed to be working perfectly fine. Yet she wouldn't move.

"We're ready, Doctor!" He spun to see Donna walking out into the console room, wearing a black one-piece bathing suit, wrapped in a towel. A white sunhat and sunglasses rested on her head, and she was still wearing that gold necklace they had found earlier.

Behind her, Dean walked out in a t-shirt and swim shorts. His hands were in his pockets, but he was smiling at Donna.

The Doctor grinned. He was still wearing his suit and tie. "If only I could say the same. The TARDIS seems to be having a problem."

"What kind of problem?" Dean asked. They both walked over to the console where the Doctor was standing over it, scratching his head.

"She was working fine, but now she seems to be... stuck."

Dean didn't know much about time machines, but he knew quite a lot about cars. How different could they be? "When did it start to have problems?"

The Doctor shook his head. "She was acting a bit odd when we came to pick you up, but now... she's completely stopped."

Above them, the lights inside began to flicker, and Dean went still. _Oh no..._

"Doctor, what is that?" Donna looked around at the lights. That had never happened before. She didn't even think it could happen. The TARDIS didn't work on electricity, did it?

The Doctor frowned, glancing at Dean. "I don't know. Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"You okay?"

The lights went out, abruptly. They found themselves in the dark. "Doc, I think we should get out of here."

"Yes. I would have to agree."

Dean didn't know how much the Doctor knew about hunting, but he figured he wasn't the only one noticing the temperature drop.

The Doctor was the first at the TARDIS door. He pulled at the handle, but it didn't budge. He tried again, and again. "That is not a good sign. The TARDIS has never locked me in."

"I don't think it's the TARDIS..." Dean breathed. He just had the worst luck...

"Then what is it?" Donna asked, the worry prominent in her usually confident voice.

"Guys... I think you have a ghost problem."


	24. The Ghost Problem

"A _ghost_ problem?" Donna repeated. "You cannot be serious."

"I mean, I don't know if there are, like... alien ghosts, or whatever." Dean shrugged. "But this place definitely has all the signs of a spirit."

"That's impossible." The Doctor had faced monsters with Dean before, and that he could believe. He knew about monsters. And he had seen demons before, (although he wasn't convinced that's what they actually were. There were several explanations for demons that didn't include demonic possession.) but he still had never seen a ghost. "My ship is not _haunted_."

"I don't know man... how else would we be locked in?"

The Doctor sighed. He had no idea. But it couldn't be ghosts.

Before they could argue any longer, they were all startled by a high-pitched shriek. "BRING ME BACK!"

A woman stood beside the console. Her hair was matted with blood, and she was wearing a ripped white gown. Her face was twisted with anger and confusion.

The Doctor was the first to react. "Calm down- tell me who you are."

"BRING ME BACK!" The woman screamed in response. She was phasing in and out the angrier she became, and was approaching them, slowly. "NOW!"

The Doctor was afraid she was going to attack them, and she might have, if Dean didn't leap out in front of the others, and throw a fist-full of salt at her. She shrieked once more, disappearing into mist.

After a moment of confused silence, Donna said, "What the hell was that?"

"That," Dean sighed, turning back to them. "Was a spirit. Like I said."

"How did she get on my ship?" The Doctor asked, bewildered. "And more importantly, _why_ is she on my ship?"

"Beats me. But she looks seriously pissed off." Dean shoved the bag of salt back into his pocket.

"You were going to bring salt to the beach?" Donna asked.

Dean shrugged. "You never know. Apparently it was a good idea."

The Doctor sighed. "What do we do?"

"What?"

"What do we do to... fix this?" The Doctor was pretty sure he wasn't going to like the answer, knowing Dean, but he couldn't just leave a ghost to wander around the TARDIS.

"Right. Well, we gotta... help her pass over."

"Pass over?" Donna questioned. "Where?"

"No idea. I guess you figure that out when you die. Anyway, she's stuck here for whatever reason. Usually you have to burn the bones, but I figure you don't have a bunch of human bones stashed on board, anywhere."

"What happens when you burn the bones?" Donna only knew so much about hunting. The Doctor told her a little bit about Dean's "job." Just enough to where she understood what Dean had gone through when she met the adult Dean. He was a very different person than the kid she was seeing now.

"I... don't know." Dean hadn't really questioned it before. "They burn up, but I don't know if they end up somewhere or just... disappear."

"Well, that's just bloody wonderful, isn't it?" Donna sighed.

Dean smiled a little. "Yeah, sorry. I'm not a philosopher. I'm a hunter. We just have to figure out why she's here."

"So we should talk to her?" The Doctor suggested.

Dean nodded. "That's a good start, I guess. I don't have anything else to go off of."

"How do we get her back?" _And make sure she doesn't kill us?_

"We wait."

…

When the spirit finally appeared again, they were ready for her.

Dean made a salt line around the console for them to stand behind. He hadn't brought anything iron, and they were locked out of the rest of the TARDIS. The Doctor couldn't explain it, but it seemed the ghost had been able to lock up all doors leading in or out of the ship, leaving them stranded in the main room. The console wasn't working either, leaving the Doctor feeling trapped and uncomfortable.

"Where am I?" The girl seemed less angry, and more stable, this time around. She stood on the outside of the salt line, just inches from Donna. "Where have you taken me?"

Donna glanced over at Dean. Dean walked in front of her, trying to catch the spirits attention. "Hey, hey- we didn't take you anywhere. You followed us."

The spirit did not take kindly to that. "No! Where have you taken me?" Her voice was raising.

"We just want to help you get back home," The Doctor stepped in. "We didn't mean to take you anywhere. This is all a misunderstanding."

"LIAR!" The ghost screamed. "DON'T LIE TO ME." A powerful burst of energy came from her; Her hair flew up, whipping around her head. It looked to the Doctor as if she was gathering power toward her. _Maybe even draining power from the ship..._

"Just tell us who you are!" Dean demanded.

"Please! We can help..." Donna pleaded

Donna's soft words seemed to calm the spirit down a bit. "You can help me by taking me back."

"Back where?"

"Home."

Donna sighed. "I don't know where that is."

The spirit screamed again, and this time as she did, her energy force whipped back the salt line, rendering it useless. She immediately went after Dean, who had been closest to her. He fell back against the console, and her hand straight through his chest, and he felt the most unimaginable pain.

Dean was completely immobile. He was spread out against the console and she was on top of him. As he felt her fingers digging in his chest, he saw her, too, change. A blood spot formed on the neck of her gown as the blood dripped down from her mouth and onto him. "Liar... you're a liar..."

"Dean!" The Doctor manage to throw the salt at the spirit, and she once again disappeared.

Dean gasped for breath, sliding down the console onto the floor. "Dean, are you okay?" Donna knelt down beside him, horrified. She had no idea how much damage a spirit could do.

Dean waved her off, finally catching his breath. "I'm okay... I'm okay..." He felt his chest, but there were no marks on his skin. The only blood on him was her own.

"Well, that didn't do much good." The Doctor leaned back on the console, thinking.

"Are you kidding? I got all the information I needed." Dean grinned.


	25. Home

"What? What did you possibly find out?" They both stared at him.

"She didn't know where she was. She had no idea how she got here. So if she didn't follow you here, she must've been taken in by mistake."

"I don't think we _accidentally _brought a ghost on board." Donna argued. "Seems like something we might remember."

Dean shook his head. "Ghosts are usually attached to their bones, but not always. Sometimes, they're attached to seemingly harmless objects that were once theirs." They were still watching him blankly. "You know, like a necklace, for example."

Donna's face changed from a look of confusion, to one of understanding. She grasped for the gold necklace hanging from her neck. "You think she's attached to this?"

Dean nodded. "You just picked it up recently, right? As in, right before the TARDIS started acting up?"

"Oh! It was so obvious!" The Doctor practically jumped into the air. "It was staring us right in the face! That's why she responded to Donna- because she felt a connection to you. You're the one with her necklace!"

"Okay- what do we do with it? How do we _unattach_ her?" Donna turned back to Dean.

"We burn it. Just like the bones. Except I don't have my lighter with me- It's in my bag, which is still in the clothes room."

"We have to get it!" The Doctor went to take the necklace.

"Oi! Not so fast. This whole place is locked up, remember?"

"Then how do we get in there?"

Donna thought for a moment. "I have an idea."

…

"She's gonna kill us, you realize that?" Dean shook his head at the plan. "Or at the very least she's going to kill me. She seemed to take a great interest in me, for whatever reason. And not the usual interest I get from chicks."

"Oh calm down, you'll be fine." Donna rolled her eyes, playfully.

"Yeah, you say that now..."

The Doctor came up behind them, clutching his sonic screwdriver. He didn't think it would do much good, but it made him feel more confident. "She here, yet?"

"What are you doing?" The woman's scratchy voice was all the answer they needed.

Donna took a step toward her. "We just want to help you go home. That's what you want, isn't it? To go home."

The spirits face softened a little as she considered Donna's words. "What are you doing?" She asked again, much calmer.

"We need to get into this room." Dean pointed to the closed door that led to his bag. "Can you open the door?"

The spirit squinted at Dean, questionably. She turned back to Donna. "First you must do something for me."

Donna nodded. "What can we do?"

"Just listen." The spirit reached out towards Donna, causing Donna to jump back, remembering what happened to Dean. But unlike Dean, when the spirit touched her, she didn't feel pain. Instead, she felt surrounded by light.

"What is she doing?" The Doctor asked Dean, frantically as Donna froze in place. The spirit had disappeared, and Donna was just standing there. "Dean?"

Dean tried to shake Donna's arm, but she didn't move. "I have no idea. She doesn't... seem hurt..."

Suddenly, Donna gasped, apparently waking up from whatever trance she was in.

"Donna!" The Doctor grabbed onto her, keeping her upright as she gained her balance.

"Are you okay?" Dean looked her over as best he could, and she seemed okay. "What happened? What did she want?"

Donna shook her head. "She didn't want anything... she just wanted... she just wanted someone to know."

"To know, what?"

"How she died."

Behind them, they all heard the door click open.

…

As Dean shuffled through his bag for the lighter, Donna explained the woman's story.

Her name was Septima. She was 24 years old when she got sick and died, shortly thereafter. The necklace was the one her husband gave her on their wedding day.

After she died, her husband sold the necklace to a local jeweler. It was constantly being resold, and for years she was stuck traveling with it.

All she wanted was to go home to her husband.

"I got it!" Dean pulled out his lighter and grabbed the salt. "Here, hand me the necklace."

Donna took it off her neck, but hesitated handing it to him. "Can't we... I mean, we don't know what's going to happen to her. Can't we... can't we just take her back home?"

Dean sighed. "We can't. She's still attached to this necklace. We have no way of assuring she _stays_ at home. Besides, she's not exactly harmless. She may have been when she was alive, but she's not anymore. You saw what she did to me. She'll do it to other people, too."

Donna nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She gave him the necklace.

Dean laid it on the ground and poured salt onto it. He poured a little bit of the lighter fluid on top.

Donna could see the spirit near the doorway, watching them silently as Dean lit the necklace.

It took a couple seconds before she abruptly burst into flames, finally disappearing for good.

…

The TARDIS came back to life like nothing had ever happened. They were still able, after all that, to take their beach trip.

Dean had felt more relaxed than he had in a long time. They laid out on towels on the green sand, and watched the two suns set on the pink water.

At home he'd be training right now. Sam would be complaining and his dad would be yelling. But instead, he was here, with the Doctor and Donna.

"That's the last time I pick up some random trinket." Donna laughed.

"I can't believe it. A _ghost..._ on _my_ TARDIS!" The Doctor shook his head in disbelief.

"What, you didn't believe me?" Dean thought back to the spirit the Doctor had helped him hunt when his father disappeared. _Guess that comes later for him..._

"I just never knew..."

They spent the day there, and once the sun went down they went back to the TARDIS. "Where to next?" The Doctor was already prepared to move on to the next adventure.

"Oi! I need to rest first!" Donna rolled her eyes. "You Time Lords have too much energy, that's what I think..."

"Right... you should take a break. What about you, Dean?"

Dean shrugged, awkwardly. "I may need to rest, too, Doc. And eat. I could really eat right now."

The Doctor smiled. "Alright, then. Let's get you something to eat."

"Good night, boys," Donna waved her goodbye and retired into one of the many rooms of the TARDIS.

The Doctor looked over at Dean. "So... how long do you think you're staying with us? I can drop you off at any time... if you want."

Dean thought about it. He thought about Sam and John at the motel room. He missed them, he did... but he would miss this a lot more. "If you don't mind, I'd like to stay for awhile."

The Doctor grinned. "Of course I don't. You're always welcome here."

With those words, Dean finally realized that magical feeling that came over him every time he entered the TARDIS. It felt like home.


	26. New Adventure

_**Thank you, everyone, for your reviews! It really keeps me writing! Anyway, a new adventure awaits Dean and the Doctor, so enjoy!**_

Dean spent two months with the Doctor, and it was the best two months of his life.

Donna got along with him great, even if they bickered a lot. She was such a kind person at heart, and he loved that about her. And she was strong-willed, which Dean could really admire.

The Doctor, of course, was wonderful. He respected his opinions and his ideas. He couldn't imagine how a Time Lord, who was hundreds of years old and was probably of the smartest person Dean had ever met, could possibly think of Dean as anything other than a naive kid. Yet he treated him as an equal, which is something he never got at home.

Sure, there were some problems traveling with him... like almost dying wherever they went. Dean never thought he'd meet anyone else who got into as much trouble as himself. It was dangerous, but at the same time, it gave him the chance to save people outside of hunting at home. He thought going off with the Doctor would be a self-serving vacation, which maybe it was, but it was so much more.

He didn't mind danger, anyway- it was no more dangerous than his usual gig, but without all the stress and pain of hunting. He didn't have to constantly worry about Sammy, and he didn't have to try and impress his dad all the time. The Doctor and Donna could take care of themselves, and they seemed to care about him unconditionally.

But regardless of any of that, Dean missed his family. He didn't want to leave, but he realized that he couldn't stay away forever. Whatever their flaws... he loved them. They were his family, no matter what.

So he asked the Doctor to take him back.

"Okay, we're here." The Doctor pulled the brake, stopping the ship. "It's only been a couple hours- that was as close as I could get it." The Doctor couldn't lie, he was a little upset Dean was leaving. He wasn't mad- he completely understood why he was going. He knew Deans connection to his brother and even his dad, so he wasn't surprised he wanted to return to them. And what's more, he knew about this Dean's future- he knew he ended up back on the road with them. Otherwise, all kinds of things the Doctor lived through with him would have never happened. The Doctor had seen parts of Dean's future, and therefore they were set in stone.. No matter how terrible.

"Nah, that's perfect, Doc." Dean smiled, taking one last glance around the TARDIS. He felt a twinge of regret for leaving, but he had to.

"I'm sure we'll see you again, Dean." Donna said. She knew that Dean would see _her_ again, and she only hoped she would have the same luxury.

"Thanks, guys... for everything. It's been great." Dean wasn't just referring to the planets he had seen, or the time periods, or the aliens. They both meant a lot to him, too. "Until next time, Doc."

Dean draped his bag over his shoulder and waved goodbye.

The TARDIS had parked across the street once again, so Dean waited outside and watched it disappear before crossing the street.

The sun was still down, but it wouldn't be for long, and John and Sam would be awake soon. Dean made it over to the door, but felt himself frozen in front of it. It had been such a long time since he had seen them- he had never been away from Sam for that long before- and yet to them, it would only have been a few hours since they fell asleep with him scrunched up beside Sam. He took a deep breath as he put the key in and turned.

He was just about to step inside when he heard the familiar sound once more.

"What the hell?" He turned, confused. This time, The TARDIS was parked just a few feet away. Dean quietly shut the door and approached the ship. The doors swung open and a dark-skinned woman Dean had never met before jumped out.

Her hair was pulled back, and she wore a reddish leather jacket and tight jeans. _Damn... she's hot._ Dean couldn't help but think. She was obviously a companion of the Doctor's, but not one he had met yet. He didn't have much time to think any farther before she was practically in his arms. "Dean! Thank god we found you!" Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and she pulled him in like they had known each other forever.

"Uh..." Dean pulled himself away gently, looking her over. No, he certainly didn't know her. "I'm sorry... I don't know who you are."

The woman stared at him for a second before understanding. "Oh, wow... I'm so sorry. You must not have met me yet... I'm Martha. I'm a friend of the Doctor's."

Dean smiled. _Martha... got it... _"Yeah, I figured. I guess you know me already... I'm still not used to this time travel stuff." Dean looked behind her for the Doctor. "You, uh... you said you were looking for me? How come?"

"Right." Martha's whole posture suddenly turned serious. "We need your help. With... a hunt."


	27. Forest

"A _hunt_?" Dean repeated, staring at Martha. "The Doctor doesn't _hunt_."

Martha smirked. "No, he doesn't. Not usually. But he _does_ help people. And right now, that means hunting."

Dean glanced back at the motel door. The whole reason he _left_ the TARDIS, was to get back to his family. And yet, here it was again, beckoning him to it's cause. How could he say no? "Okay, okay... I'll help. What are we talkin' about, here? Like a spirit or something?"

Martha shook her head. "No, I don't think so. Honestly... we aren't sure what it is. That's why we need your help." Martha had met Dean several times, but he was older then. She hoped that even as young as he was, he was still the same person- and the same skilled hunter.

Dean could feel his excitement bubbling below the surface. The Doctor needed his help... and with the one thing Dean was really good at- hunting. He _had_ to do this... "Alright, Martha. I'm in. Where are we going?"

Martha grinned. "Ireland."

"Ireland... when?"

"Sometime in the 13th century... probably. You know how the Doctor is with accuracy."

Now it was Dean's turn to grin.

…

"Dean!" The Doctor greeted him. He was smiling, but he looked tired. "Good to see you. How old are you, now?"

"19. Good to see you, too, Doc. I heard you're on a hunt."

"Well... I wouldn't call it that. But, yes. I need your help _finding_ something." The Doctor thought about what they were up against. What he had really wanted was Dean a few years from now. He wasn't sure if Dean could handle it right now, but apparently this is where the TARDIS took them. "And, if it comes to that, taking care of it."

"I guess I'm your guy. So, what do you know?"

The Doctor explained:

Martha and the Doctor had found themselves in a small Irish town in the 13th century. The locals told tales of a monster that lived in the nearby forest, who would lore unsuspecting soldiers to their lair, and brutally kill them. At first, they thought it was nothing but paranoia and myths. But soon, it became apparent how wrong they were.

They got to know one of the men in the village. He used to be a soldier, and fought in the Battle of the Curragh, where he was seriously injured. He lived, and made it back home to his family. However, one day, they found him, cut open, guts spilled out, near the entrance of the forest.

"It was the worst thing I've ever seen," Martha recalled. "It was horrible- and the smell..." She was in the medical field, so she was used to people being cut open. But not like that...

"I don't know what we are dealing with, Dean. But it's bad." The Doctor confessed. He had tried to figure it out himself, but it wasn't easy. The monster- or whatever it was- only went after soldiers. And since he was one... he didn't want to enter the forest himself. He had no idea what he was up against, and he didn't trust himself not to be sucked in like all the others. But Dean- Dean was just a kid. He could sneak in and find the monster, or at least keep the Doctor in check when they investigated together. He didn't want to have to ask this of Dean, but he saw no other option.

Dean considered the evidence. "What about the bodies? Was there... anything missing?"

Martha shook her head.

"Hm. I'm not sure what it could be off the top of my head. I'd have to investigate farther."

"So, you're going to help?" The Doctor asked. He figured Dean would say yes, but he wanted to give Dean the opportunity to say no. It was going to be dangerous, and he didn't want anyone being dragged into this unwillingly.

Dean almost laughed. "Of course! You've helped me out, before, Doc. Several times. It would be my pleasure to return the favor."

…

The Doctor parked the TARDIS right outside of the forest. They needed to be able to find it easily, in case something went wrong.

"This is where we found the body." Martha commented. Dean recognized the look on Martha's face. It was the same look he saw all the time, whenever he dealt with people new to the supernatural world. The world wasn't pretty, and now they knew.

"Do you know what the locals think it is?" Dean asked. Often, local legends and myths were founded in truth.

"Not really," The Doctor replied. "Some have claimed to it to be the spirits of deceased soldiers who lost their lives in battle. Others think it's an act of the Gods, shaming the soldiers for their violent pasts. But nothing is consistent."

Dean led the others into the trees. He didn't mention it to the Doctor, but he had his gun tucked away, just in case. He also stashed bags of salt into his pockets. Unfortunately, that was all the hunting equipment he had brought. In retrospect, he should have gone inside the motel and got some more.

They spent upwards of an hour wandering though the forest. Dean tried to pick up some kind of trail from the monster, but there was nothing. There was obvious footprints where the body was found, but none leading to or away from it. Dean was getting discouraged. "Maybe I should talk to the locals. Maybe it is a spirit. In that case, I need to know where the bodies are."

The Doctor sighed. "I suppose you're right."

As he spoke, a crow squawked from above the trees. The Doctor's face went blank for a moment, as if he was remembering something. "Although, I think it's best if we keep going, for now."

"Are you sure, Doctor? We've been out here for a while. Isn't it dangerous...?" Martha questioned.

Dean eyed the Doctor. "Yeah, Doc. I think we should head back."

The Doctor shook his head. "No, we can go back at anytime. We're already here. Let's keep moving."

He started walking ahead, without looking at either Dean or Martha.

Red flags were going up, everywhere.

Dean watched the Doctor go, and motioned for Martha to follow. They followed behind the Doctor, but at a far distance so that he couldn't hear them. "Dean, something's obviously wrong here." Martha whispered. The Doctor looked completely tranced, and she knew the locals said the monster lured the victims straight to it.

Dean nodded. "Whatever the monster used to lure in the other soldiers, it's using it on the Doctor now."

"What do we do? Should we bring him back to the TARDIS?"

"No. We follow him." 

"What? Are you crazy?"

"Trust me. He'll lead us right to the monster, I'm sure of it."

Dean could tell by the look on Martha's face that she was not buying into it. "I don't know, Dean. We're basically using the Doctor as bait. I'm not comfortable with that."

"Look, Martha. You're the one who came and got me. Obviously you had enough trust in me to bring me all the way to the 1200s. All I need you to do, is have a little trust in me now. Okay?"

Martha thought about the Dean she knew, years from now to him. She trusted that Dean with her life. This one couldn't be all that different. "Okay. If you say so."


	28. Phantom Queen

_**10,000 views! That's amazing! Thank you so much for reading, you have no idea how humbling it is to see how many people actually enjoy some stupid thing you write on the internet. I hope you enjoy this next chapter! **_

The Doctor felt himself being pulled farther into the forest. He didn't know why, but he had to keep moving. It was like he could hear someone calling to him... whispering his name. The others couldn't hear it, but he could. _Have to keep moving... keep moving... keep moving..._

Dean and Martha trailed behind him, but the Doctor didn't really seem to notice. Whatever this monster was, Dean thought, it must have been pretty powerful. He could see it luring some Irish soldiers with it's magic, but the Doctor? He was way too smart to be tricked by some lesser creature. They were up against something big.

Martha found herself glancing back at Dean. It was so weird, seeing him so young. She didn't meet him until he was well into his twenties. It was only a few years difference, but those years made such an impact.

Her and Dean had become quite... close. And it was slightly off-putting to be around him now. Regardless, he still seemed to be the same light-hearted guy, just maybe a bit more immature and optimistic.

"Can you hear that?" The Doctor stopped mid-step, looking back at his companions. "That... that bird. Can you hear it?"

Dean and Martha strained their ears. "Yeah, I can hear it." Dean admitted, cautiously. "It's like a crow or something. What's wrong, Doc?"

"No, no... can you hear what it's _saying_?" The Doctor grabbed Dean by the shoulders. His eyes, which were usually a deep brown, were suddenly glowing red. "I can hear it..."

"Doctor... Doctor let go of him-" Martha reached out to grab his arm, but he pulled away. "Dean... can we do something?"

Dean just stared at the Doctor, bewildered. He had no idea what was going on.

"Dean!"

Dean snapped back to reality. "I... uh... Doctor, wait. What is the crow saying?"

The Doctor paused, listening. "Tá mé an Banríon Phantom. Tá do am tagtha, saighdiúir." He repeated. "I am the Phantom Queen. Your time has come, soldier"

Martha gulped. "That doesn't sound good..."

"No... no it doesn't." Dean waved his hands in front of the Doctor's face, who had blanked out again. "Doc, I need you to listen to me. You're smarter than this. I need you to snap out of it, and tell me what's going on."

"Nothing's wrong, Dean..." The Doctor protested, a strange smile plastered on his face. "We have to keep moving..."

Dean sighed. He was starting to regret allowing the Doctor to bring them farther into this forest. He was starting to worry if they could even find their way back. But it was too late now. They were so close o finding this thing.

They began following him again, when Martha put her hand out to stop Dean."Wait... I hear something..."

Dean listened closely, and he could hear it, too. Screaming.

"HELP!" It was a woman's voice, very distant. "HELP ME!"

Dean and Martha exchanged glances and then looked at the Doctor. "Come on, Doc. We gotta go." Dean grabbed onto the Doctor's arm, and motioned for Martha to follow. The three of them followed the sound of the woman's voice through the trees. "HELLO?" Dean called. "Hello?"

"Oh! Thank you, thank you!" A woman not far in front of them. She ran over to them as fast as she could. She had long dark hair and a long black dress. She was barefoot and pale. "Please, you must help me..."

Martha went to reach out to her, but Dean held her arm back. "Wait... we don't know who she is, yet."

"Who she is?" Martha questioned. "She's terrified for her life, that's what she is!"

Dean shook his head. "Look." He pointed at the Doctor, who was staring at the woman. His eyes never left her, never even blinked. "This is it. This is the monster."

They turned back to the woman, who had a pained and confused expression on her face. "Monster...? Monster, I..." Slowly, her face changed, and her gaped mouth turned into a grin. "I'm no monster, my boy. I am so much more."

The Doctor took a step toward her, and Dean quickly restrained him. "Sorry, Doc. This is for your own good. You ain't thinkin' straight," Dean muttered in reply to his protests.

"Hm," The woman put one finger up to her lips, thinking. "You are not from these lands, are you?" The group remained silent. "Fine, don't answer me. I'll kill you either way."

"Who are you?" Martha inquired.

The woman raised her eyebrows. "You do not know? I am the Morrígan. Phantom Queen. Goddess of War and Strife. I control these lands, and I control those who fight for it, and against it."

"The Morrígan?" Martha repeated. "I remember that name... I remember it from school. She's part of Irish mythology. The triple goddess!"

"Myths? I am no myth, my dark-skinned lady." Morrígan scoffed. "Now I must admit, this interrogation is getting dull. I have a job to do. Come here, my soldier." Morrígan reached out for the Doctor, who pulled himself from Dean's grasp.

"No! Get away from him, you bitch!" Dean leaped forward, knowing he had almost no chance of causing any damage to her. She was a Goddess, and they were not to be taken lightly. Salt and bullets would never do the trick. And without being able to do more research on her, he had no way of knowing how to hurt her.

But damn, he was gonna try.

He plowed into her, knocking them both over before she had a chance to lay a hand on the Doctor. Morrígan, while surprised at the attack, reacted quickly, throwing him on the ground. Dean hit the dirt hard, and felt the wind get knocked out of him. He lied, motionless, as she bent down on top of him.

Her eyes and lips were a brilliant shade of red, so mesmerizing he couldn't look away. "You should show me some respect, boy. I am ancient. I am powerful. I have been looking over armies and deciding winners in war for centuries. Men respect me. They _worship_ me. And you, my dear boy... you, too, have the heart of a soldier. And you shall bow down to me."

She cupped her hand on his face, and Dean felt her energy powering through him. Her body warm and seductive; her power sharp and manipulative. He couldn't see it himself, but his eyes turned a dark shade of red.

"Dean!" Martha's voice was hardly able to pull him out of his trance, but he was jolted awake when she swung a tree branch, landing a solid blow to the back of Morrígan's head. The Goddess fell to the side, clutching her head in agony.

Morrígan disappeared, as did the spell controlling both the Doctor, and now Dean.

"Martha?" Dean sat up, clutching his chest. He cold still feel the residual effects of her power on him. It was the strangest thing he had ever felt. "Are you okay?"

"Am _I_ okay? Dean you just got body-slammed by a mythological goddess!" Martha helped him up off the ground. "She was controlling you for a moment, wasn't she?"

Dean nodded. "I don't know how... it was so weird."

"Martha? Dean?" The Doctor had one hand on his head, and he was squinting like he couldn't see right. "What just happened?"

"What do you remember?" dean asked.

The Doctor frowned. "I remember walking around this bloody forest, to no avail. And then... this weird feeling of... I don't even know what to call it."

"It was a Goddess. The Morrígan." Martha explained. "She's the Goddess of War. I guess she can take control of those she see's as soldiers, and make them do what she wants. Or, in some cases, just kills them."

"So what do we do, now?"

Dean glanced around. Morrígan had disappeared. "She's gone. But not for long. Martha, what did you hit her with? I can't believe you actually hurt her."

Martha picked up the branch. "This was all I could find on short notice..."

Dean took the branch from her and examined it. There was nothing special about it. No markings or anything to suggest it was magical. "It's the forest." He realized. "She's attached to this forest. It's the only thing that can kill her!"

"She's going to come back." The Doctor warned. "There's no where else for her to go. She'd want us gone."

"well," Dean said. "Let's be prepared, then."


	29. Morrígan

_**You guys are so amazing! Thank you for reading, and thank you to all those who have reviewed!**_

"Are you sure she's going to come back?" Martha asked. It had been a few hours since they last saw the goddess, and she was beginning to think she was gone for good.

"Of course she's coming back. She's not going to just take off, now!" The Doctor responded, sounding quite annoyed.

"Well, _sorry_, Doctor. You don't have to be so _rude_ about it!" Martha retorted.

"I'm not being _rude_! It was a stupid question!" The Doctor's voice was raised now, and everyone was obviously tense.

"Hey, hey, guys! Take it easy!" Dean walked in between his two friends. All three of them had tree branches which they had carved down into spikes. "Everybody's just a little on edge right now. The important thing is to stay calm, and away from each others throats!"

"I don't have to stay calm!" Martha argued. "It was _his_ fault! Not mine!"

"Oh, please. Don't start this..." The Doctor rolled his eyes. "This is what I get for bringing _humans_ with me. They're always so sensitive!"

"Alright, that's it!" Martha threw the branch on the ground in anger. "I'm done. I'm going back to the TARDIS, whether or not this _goddess_ ever decides to show up!"

"Martha, wait! " Martha was already storming away when Dean tried to stop her. "You can't go alone. We don't know where _Morrígan_ is! Besides, we don't know where the TARDIS is, either."

"I don't care. I'll find it." Martha spun around, stopping only for a moment to decide which way to go before leaving.

Dean groaned. He glanced back at the Doctor. "I gotta go with her."

"Yeah, I know..." The Doctor sighed as Dean ran off, leaving him alone in the woods.

Once they were gone, the Doctor clutched onto his tree branch, keeping an eye on, well, everything. It wasn't long before he heard the faint distant cry of a crow. _She's coming..._

He heard a twig snap behind him, and he spun quickly around. No one was there. Behind him, he heard some shuffling. Again, there was no one. She was messing with him.

"Come on, now, _Morrígan_. You're better than this." He scanned the area. "An all powerful Goddess, using cheap tricks like a demi-god."

"Do not underestimate me, _Doctor_." The Morrígans' smooth voice rang out, but she still wasn't coming out of hiding. "I have _more _than just a few tricks up my sleeve."

And suddenly she was in front of him, her lips on his. Her hands cupping his face. He used the branch to push her away. _Morrígan_ just grinned. "Come on, Doctor. You might as well play along. You're friends have left you. There's nothing you can do."

Now the Doctor could grin. "Please. Don't underestimate me."

The Morrígans' eyes darkened. "What's so funny, Doctor? You scared to die?"

The Doctor shook his head, putting up his hands and dropping his branch. "I'm not scared to die. I am a soldier, if you remember. No... what's funny is that Dean Winchester is right behind you."

On cue, Dean shoved the branch, as hard as he could, into her back. The _Morrígan_ screamed out in anguish as he turned the bloody branch. In just a few seconds of screaming, Dean let go, letting the goddess fall onto the dirt of her forest and _evaporate_ into nothing.

Martha stood behind him, starring at where the body used to be. "Now _that's_ something I've never seen before..."

Dean smiled at the Doctor. "Good thinkin', Doc. Splitting up like that. Bitch totally bought it."

The Doctor nodded. "Thanks for coming back and taking care of her. I was starting to think you weren't going to show."

"We just had to wait for the right moment." Martha explained, glancing at Dean.

"Well, it looks like she won't be a problem for soldiers here, anymore."

"Yeah... thank you, Dean. For helping us." The Doctor was sure he never would have been able to do this without him. Hunting just wasn't his thing.

"No problem, Doc. You know you can always call me."

It took them a few hours to finally make their way back to the TARDIS. When they found it, they were all exhausted. "Finally, this trip can be _over_..." Martha laughed, leaning against the door. "I will admit, it was pretty cool to meet an actual _goddess_..."

"So, Dean. " The Doctor walked to the console. "I don't know what we interrupted... do you need to go back now?"

Dean sighed. "Yeah, I guess I do. Uh, you mind if we make a pit stop?"

…

"Here we are. Your lovely abode..." The Doctor announced, stopping the TARDIS outside the motel. The sun was just coming up.

"Thanks, Doc." Dean was holding 2 coffees, a hot chocolate, and a bag of bagels he got from a shop down the road. He needed an excuse for being home so late. "It's good seeing you. You gotta come visit again, soon." Dean felt cheesy saying it, but he really meant it. It was hard to leave the Doctor after all those months, only to be drawn back in again. It wasn't any easier to leave now.

"Of course we will! " Martha promised. She went up to him and gave his a kiss on the cheek, much to his surprise. "See you, Dean."

Dean stared at her, wide- eyed. "See ya..."

Dean left the TARDIS for the second time in 24 hours. For the second time, he watched it disappear. But this time, he actually got into the motel door.

"Where the hell have you been?" John's voice roared almost as soon as he entered the room.

"I, uh, I got something to eat, sir." Dean held up the bag of bagels the Doctor had gotten him as an alibi. "Sorry, sir."

"You know you can't just leave whenever you feel like it, Dean!" John took the bag and tossed it aside on the table. "Now hurry up and help your brother pack. We're leaving in 15."

John slammed the door on the way out to the car.

Dean sighed, taking one of the coffees and the hot chocolate. "Sam?"

Sam was sitting on the bed that they had shared the night before. "Hey, Dean." He greeted, flatly.

"You want some hot chocolate? I got bagels, too."

Sam sighed, nodding. Dean handed him the drink and a bagel, which he accepted. "You okay, dude?"

"Yeah, I'm cool. Thanks for the breakfast. I already packed your stuff." Sam pointed to Dean's duffel.

"Thanks. Come on, Dad's waiting."

Things were okay for them then, but the next time Dean saw the Doctor, things were much, much worse.


	30. 2005

"Doctor?"

"Dean?"

"Are... are you busy?"

"Uh... I suppose not. What is it?"

Pause. "I need you."

…

The Doctor followed the coordinates that Dean had given him to an abandoned building in New Mexico, 2005. He didn't know why Dean had called him, but by the sound of his voice, it seemed important.

Dean hadn't said anything else about the situation, which made the Doctor nervous. He didn't like not knowing things, especially when the Winchesters were involved. Somehow, they were always getting themselves in the worst kind of trouble.

The Doctor landed the TARDIS in the front yard of the house, which he noted was in terrible shape. It was the only building on this dirt road on which there were no cars, and probably wouldn't ever be. The house had obviously not been inhabited in a very long time- except for the man in there now.

The Doctor opened the door, slowly, glancing around for any signs of trouble. "Dean?"

"Doctor!" Dean Winchester came out from one of the other rooms. "You made it on time! How about that?" Dean was grinning now, but his face was pale and tired, like he hadn't slept in days.

"It helps when I get specific coordinates and dates." The Doctor stood awkwardly a few feet away from Dean. Neither seemed particularly sure what to do. "You said you needed me to come?"

Dean nodded, his smile quickly disappearing. "Yeah, uh... I need help and I didn't know who else to call."

"Are you okay, Dean?" The Doctor had seen Dean in pretty much any condition possible, but now he just looked... lost.

Dean paused before answering. "I, uh... I'm all alone, here, Doc. And I... I don't think I'm very good at being alone."

"What do you mean... where's-" _Of course..._ The Doctor mentally kicked himself for not making the connection, sooner. _It's mid-2005... Sam's at Stanford and John has probably left by now..._

"Sam's gone, Doc." Dean explained, not realizing that the Doctor had heard this story before. "Off at Stanford. And my dad... I don't know where he is!" Dean ran his fingers through his hair. "He _l__eft_, Doc. He just ran off in the middle of the night! He didn't even bother to tell me where he went! "

"He didn't?" The Doctor clarified, confused. He knew about this happening, Sam had told him a while ago. But according to him, John told Dean he was on a hunt, and disappeared from there.

"No!" Dean wiped at tears that were forming in his eyes. "He left me, Doc. He left me just like Sam did. At least Sam had the decency to tell me before... Everyone is leaving me, and I don't know what to do-" Dean's voice cracked, and the Doctor's heart broke.

"I'm so sorry, Dean." He walked the few steps toward Dean and wrapped his arms around him. "It's not your fault, Dean. Remember that."

"How could it not be?" Dean's argument was undermined by his small, sad voice. "They've put up with me for long enough. And now-"

"Dean, stop." The Doctor couldn't help but relate to the boy. The Doctor was old, over 900 years old, (although it was hard to keep track now-a-days,) and in those years a lot of people had left him. Some by choice, some not. It was hard to see all those people go by... but again, it was after hundreds of years. Poor Dean had his fair share of people leaving in just 26 short years. "It's not your fault. You don't deserve this. You didn't cause this. You can't blame yourself. Trust me, it won't get you anywhere."

Dean pulled away, nodding. He tried to pull himself together, embarrassed for crying like a little girl to the only person who hadn't completely given up on him. "Sorry... sorry. I just... My whole life I always had them with me, you know? I... I don't want to be alone." Dean wouldn't admit it out loud, but he was terrified of being alone. He _needed_ people, more than they knew. He needed to be needed, and he needed to be wanted. But to him, this was the final sign that _no one_ needed or wanted him anymore.

"You're not alone, Dean. Now come on, we should find your father."

The Doctor didn't know how all of this played out. He knew where John was- on a hunt for a Woman in White- that he wasn't going to return from. He knew that Dean would eventually go to Sam for help at Stanford.

He knew how all of this was _supposed_ to pan out, because he had already heard the story. But something wasn't quite right. Why didn't John tell Dean where he was going? How else would Dean know where to go?

He planned to figure it out, but right now, he had to be there for Dean.

"Thanks, Doc..." Dean smiled half-heartedly. He was glad that the Doctor came- and on time. Everyone was falling away from him, and he was glad that there was still someone he could count on.

_**So, maybe the months before the pilot didn't go quite the way Dean said they did when he went to Sam in September. Stay tuned to find out exactly how Dean ended up in Sam's apartment, alone, and on a mission.**_


	31. John Winchester

"Dean, hold on..." The Doctor sighed, looking over Dean's motel room. It was the last place John was seen. He had disappeared while Dean was asleep a couple nights ago. Dean had searched everywhere for him, fearing something supernatural was involved, but had found nothing.

"Did you find something?" Dean asked, hopefully.

"No, uh... did you want something to eat?"

"What?" Dean raised his brow, surprised. "Uh, I guess..."

The Doctor found nothing in the motel room, and he knew Dean had swept it entirely. He couldn't just _tell_ Dean where his father was. That was against so many rules. But there was something else he could do. "Good, I'm starving. I'll be right back."

Without waiting for Dean to say anything else, the Doctor practically skipped out the door, leaving Dean, bewildered, in the middle of the motel.

…

John Winchester was more than a little surprised when there was a knock on his door.

He grabbed his gun, gripping the handle as he approached the motel door. He looked out the peephole, but he didn't recognize the man standing outside. He was tall and lanky and wore a brown striped suit.

John cautiously opened the door. "Who the hell are you?" He asked, skipping all formalities.

The man smiled and spoke with a British accent. "I asked the woman at the counter, and she said you were here. If I'm not mistaken, you're John Winchester?"

John stepped out further from behind the door. The gun in his hand was now purposely visible. "Maybe. I'll say it again. Who the hell are you?"

The man looked down at his gun, but kept a straight face. "My name is the Doctor," The name was faintly familiar to John, but there was no way he would remember that _The Doctor_ was the name of Dean's "imaginary friend" when he was little. "You don't know me, but I know you."

John clenched his jaw. "What, you a hunter or something?"

The Doctor shook his head. "I am far from a hunter. It really doesn't matter, John. I'm here about your son."

John's eyes widened slightly. "Sam?" John's mind went crazy with all the things that could be wrong with his youngest. Maybe this was it... maybe the demon had finally come for him.

"No, Dean. You know, the kid you left behind in New Mexico."

_Dean?_ "What happened?"

"He's fine. As in he's not physically hurt. But you left him behind, without telling him where you were going, and he's freaking out." The Doctor couldn't understand what was going through this man's head. He knew all about John Winchester- from both of his son's perspective's- but this still seemed out-of-the-ordinary, even for him.

John narrowed his eyes. "It was for the best."

"How is it-"

"Don't try and tell me what's best for my sons, now!" John took a step forward, menacingly. "I'm their god damn father. I don't even know who you are, so don't come to _my_ room and act like you know my son better than I do."

"John, your son is _broken_," The Doctor was practically _pleading_ for him to listen. "I may not know him as well as you, but trust me, I know him well enough. He needs a father." He paused, realizing none of this was getting through to him. John was dead set in his ways, and he seemed to believe he was doing the right thing. "Look, John. He just needs to know you didn't just abandon him-"

"I didn't aban-"

"I know! But he doesn't! " The Doctor argued. "He doesn't know that because you never told him!" The men stood in tense silence, staring at each other. "I know what you're doing here. One last hunt before you find the demon," he ignored John's accusatory look when he mentioned the demon. "Just... just call him. Tell him you're on a hunt. Let him know that you're not leaving him."

John wanted to yell at this man, even throw a punch at him. This _Doctor_ knew more than he should about his family. He didn't know what Dean had to do with him, but he made a mental note to look into him once he took care of the demon, once and for all. "I think you should leave."

The Doctor sighed, nodding. "Please, John. Think about your sons. "_Both_ of them."

John slammed the door, seething. He looked over at the motel phone, and exhaled sharply.

He picked up the phone, stared at it. He didn't _want_ to make the call. He already knew he _should_. But he didn't know if he could do it. He didn't know he could handle telling Dean why he left.

The phone only rang once before someone picked up. "Dad?"

John cringed at Dean's desperate voice. "Yeah, Dean. It's me."

He could hear Dean's relieved sigh from the other end. "Where are you? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Dean, I'm fine." He replied a little sharper than he meant to. "I'm just on a hunt."

"Why didn't you say anything before you left? I thought something happened..."

John sighed. "It was important, Dean. You know that."

There was a slight hesitation to Dean's, "You're right, sorry, sir."

"Look, Dean... I'm sorry I didn't say anything. I'll let you know when I'm on my way back, okay? Why don't you... find your own hunt or something."

"You serious?"

"Yeah. I'll be back soon."

"Yes, sir."

John hung up the phone with no intention of going back.

…

"I hope you like burgers and chips," The Doctor had stopped by a Biggerson's before going back to the motel room Dean was at.

"Doctor! He called." Dean greeted him, looking relieved. "My dad just called, let me know where he was."

The Doctor smiled. It had worked. "Really? Fantastic!" The Doctor feigned ignorance. He put the food bag on the counter. "Now you can relax. You look like you need it."

Dean grinned. "Yeah, thanks, Doc." Then he paused, picking a few fries out of the bag. "Hey... you, uh, you didn't have anything to do with my dad calling, did you?"

The Doctor frowned. "No, I didn't. I told you, I just went for some food. But I'm glad he called. It was the right thing to do."

Dean nodded, although he didn't really believe him. It was too much of a coincidence that the Doctor left for 20 minutes, and his dad just happened to call while he was gone. But he didn't say anything. "Alright, well... let's eat, huh?"

Dean turned on the television, which they watched while they ate. "You sure you're gonna be okay while your dad's gone?" The Doctor asked.

"Dude," Dean rolled his eyes. "I'm twenty-six."

"I'm just making sure..."

"Besides," Dean explained, "I'm gonna be busy with my own hunts."

The Doctor decided it was best not to comment on that. "I'm glad you called me, Dean. Please... if you need anything again, just call."

Dean nodded. "Will do, Doc. Will do."

The next time Dean got a call from his father, he missed it. His father left a message, though: "Dean, something big is starting to happen. I need to try and figure out what's going on. Be very careful, Dean. We're all in danger."

Dean didn't call the Doctor, though. Instead, he went to get Sam at Stanford. He knew he could've gotten the Doctor's help again, but... he really wanted to see his brother.


	32. Doctor Who?

_**I really never expected to get so many people reading this story. I love it, of course, and I'm very passionate about Supernatural and Doctor Who. But I sill had no idea that anyone other than myself would want to read my seemingly stupid little stories. Writing is one of my many passions, and I am so happy that you all have enjoyed reading these as much as I have enjoyed writing them. Thank you to all of your continued support, especially to those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited. You guys are great motivation for writing. Thank you 3**_

"God damn it, Dean!" Sam's voice roared from the other side of the motel room. "I wish you would just _talk_ to me!"

"I am talking to you! I'm talking to you right now!" Dean protested. He was sitting on the bed as Sam paced around, angrily.

"You know what I mean, Dean." Sam lowered his voice, slightly. He stared at his big brother, who was refusing to meet his eyes. _How did it end up like this..._ They used to be so close. Dean _used_ to talk to him. But then Sam left... and it seemed like Dean would never forgive him for that.

But that wasn't going to slide anymore, because Dean was hurting, bad. It had only been a few weeks since their dad died, and he knew Dean was hiding his grief. "Dean, please... at least _l__ook_ at me.

Dean rolled his eyes and shifted his gaze to his brother. His expression was inscrutable, veiled behind the wall Dean had somehow perfected putting up. "I'm looking at you, Sam. I just don't want to talk about it. I don't _need _to."

"Dean-" a strange noise coming from outside the motel interrupted Sam, who stopped mid-sentence to listen. It was oddly familiar...

He looked over at his brother, who was listening just as intently. Except his face changed to resemble a little kid hearing 'Santa' on Christmas Eve. He obviously knew exactly what it was.

"Dean, what is that?"

"The Doctor!"

Sam's face twisted in confusion. "Doctor Wh-?" _No. It can't be..._ Realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He remembered back to that day Dean dragged him out of the motel room and brought him to another planet. He had almost convinced himself it never happened- Dean never talked about it again. But he knew it was real. And Dean wasn't alone. "Is that... is that _the_ Doctor?"

Dean practically jumped off the bed. "Nothing else makes a noise like that," Dean grinned.

Sam clenched his jaw. He wasn't quite as excited as his brother obviously was. The one time he had gone into the Doctor's time machine, or whatever, Dean almost got himself killed. He thought Dean was done with the Doctor- apparently he was wrong. "What is he doing here?"

Dean shrugged. "Who cares?" Dean raced out the door, where he was almost immediately greeted by the Doctor himself. "Doctor"!

"So it worked! Dean Winchester." They hugged, and Sam hung awkwardly behind. "Good to see ya."

"Dean!" Donna grinned, and also got a hug from Dean. "It's been awhile... for you anyway."

"I know, right." Dean glanced back at Sam. "Have you guys ever met Sammy over here?"

"I haven't," Donna reached her hand out to Sam, who reluctantly accepted it. "It's nice to meet you, Sam. It's about time."

"You too...?"

"Donna." The Doctor answered for her. "Nice to see you again, Sam."

Sam just nodded.

"So, what are you guys doing here?" Dean asked, although he didn't really care. It had been a couple years since he had last seen the Doctor, and it hadn't been under the best circumstances. And with all that has been happening recently, Dean could really use a break.

"We wanted to show you something," The Doctor glanced at Sam. "Sam, you're welcome to come, as well." He hadn't seen too much of Dean's brother, but it seemed the younger Sam was, the more he seemed to dislike the Doctor.

"Awesome," Dean agreed immediately. "Course we'll come."

"Dean," Sam interrupted. "Can I talk to you, first?"

"Uh, sure. Hold on, guys." Dean followed Sam back into the room for a bit of privacy. "What is it, Sammy?"

"Dean, we shouldn't go." Sam didn't let Dean protest before continuing. "It's dangerous, Dean. _He's_ dangerous. The last time I saw him, we _all_ almost died."

"So? Our whole lives are dangerous, Sam. At least the Doctor's _fun._ And Donna is, too, you'll see." Dean went to turn back but Sam stopped him.

"Wait... how many times have you gone with them, Dean?" Sam couldn't help but wonder how Dean seemed to know these people so well. He had only met the Doctor twice, and each time there was a different girl.

Dean shrugged. "I don't know. A few times."

"You never told me?"

Dean opened his mouth to reply, but quickly rethought it. No, he hadn't told Sam about the Doctor. In fact, he had purposely kept it hidden from him. "No- you didn't even like the Doctor, Sam. Why would I tell you about him?"

Sam felt more than a little betrayed by that, but he knew it was stupid. Sam had kept his fair share of secrets from Dean. No... it wasn't betrayal. It was jealously. Dean seemed happier to see the Doctor then he had to see Sam in months. It was stupid, of course... he just couldn't help it.

"Look, Sammy... you don't have to come. But I'm going- and I'd like it if you did, too."

Sam let out a sigh of defeat. He couldn't stop his brother from going, that was for sure. He only hoped they weren't going to get into too much trouble. "Alright. Let's do it."

Dean's face lit up once again, and Sam was happy for that, at least.


	33. Where Are We?

"Would you like to do the honors?"

Dean tilted his head at the Doctor. "Me?"

The Doctor grinned. "Yeah, you. Wanna learn how to control this thing?"

Dean couldn't hold in his excitement. Of course he wanted to learn how to fly the TARDIS. He had been flying around in it for years now, and it would be _awesome_ to be able to fly it himself. He thought back to the second time he was in TARDIS. Once he was sure that the Doctor was real, and not just a figment of his imagination, he had been waiting for this.

Sam stood away from the console, where the Doctor and Dean were standing. They were talking about things Sam couldn't understand, and it reminded him of watching Dean and John discuss cars in the front seat of the Impala. He had always been too little, or just too oblivious to really have a conversation with them.

Suddenly, it was like when he was 11 all over again, and Sam felt like an outsider.

"You sure are tall," Donna wandered over to him. "And cute," She smiled.

Sam smiled back, awkwardly. "Um..."

"Don't worry about those two. The Doctor doesn't get to see old friends everyday, and Dean doesn't get to see the Doctor too often. They're just having fun." Donna seemed to sense what was wrong with Sam, and while he appreciated her concern, he also didn't want it.

"Thanks, Donna, but I'm fine." Sam insisted. "It's just... I've only been on the TARDIS, once."

Donna nodded. "Yeah. I heard about that. Cybermen on a deserted planet?"

"That's the one. It didn't go so well." _Understatement_. Sam didn't understand why Dean would want to _add_ danger to their lives. Wasn't hunting bad enough without adding _time travel_ to the mix.

Suddenly, the TARDIS jolted forward, stopped, jerked backwards, and then started to fly. "Son of a bitch! This is awesome!" Dean was holding onto a lever or something, that was connected to the console. Sam quickly grabbed onto the railing, as did Donna, as they started to move, fearing that it was about to get bumpy.

As it turns out, Dean was a pretty good driver. Whether it was his skill with a car, or just a natural talent, Dean was able to maneuver the TARDIS with ease, making for a smooth ride to... _where are we, exactly?_

"Wow," Was all the Doctor said as he helped Dean park.

Dean was grinning from ear to ear. "Nice, right?"

"Fantastic! " The Doctor hadn't ever seen a human drive a TARDIS that well, ever. "You're a natural."

Sam couldn't help but smile at how proud Dean looked in that moment. "Where'd you take us?"

Dean shrugged. "I don't know. Doc put in the coordinates."

"Just go look for yourself,"

Dean opened the door, and Sam peeked out behind him.

"Uh, Doc." Dean peered out, but all they seemed to be in an alleyway. "No offense, but this isn't particularly exciting."

"Well, I couldn't exactly park my spaceship in the middle of all the excitement, could I?" The Doctor pushed out in front, turning back at his three companions. "Come on, now. Let's figure out where we are!"

They followed behind the Doctor as he led them out the alley, and into the street. There were people everywhere, carrying bags and baskets full of bought goods, which presumably were bought at the market they found themselves in, now. Except, upon looking further, they weren't _people_ at all.

"What the Hell?" Sam looked at these... things, in shock. Their skin was shades of purple, and they had extraordinarily long fingers and necks. They were humanoid, but Sam wouldn't describe them as _human _at all.

"Where are we?" Dean asked in awe. The aliens were staring at them, oddly, but none seemed as shocked to see them, as they were to see the aliens.

"A developing planet orbiting alpha Cassiopeia, or alpha Cas. Alpha Cas is not unlike your own sun, and this planet isn't unlike your own." The Doctor explained. He was loving the expressions on their faces. He loved this. "The locals call this planet Shedir, and themselves Shedirians."

"Shedirians, huh?" Dena grinned, again. He was doing a lot of that since the Doctor showed up, Sam noted. "And alpha Cas? Nice name."

"Do they know that we're human?" Donna inquired. "How advanced are they?"

"They don't know anything about humans, hence the sideways-glances," the Doctor waved at one of the Shedirians, and they cautiously waved back. "Humans have yet to reach out successfully to other civilizations. But they know several other species from other planets in the Eta Cassiopeia star system, so foreigners aren't surprising here.

"It doesn't look very... advanced." Donna admitted, glancing around the market in front of them. "I mean, it looks like Earth. Except they have space travel and stuff."

The Doctor shrugged. "Different solar systems advanced differently. If other planets in your system had life, you would have found them by now, too. Unfortunately for you, your neighbors are much farther away."

"So, how do we, like, talk to them?" Sam spoke up, finally.

"Oi, I can answer that one," Donna smiled, happy to be finally able to answer one of their questions. The Doctor had to learn to share the spotlight every once in a while. "The TARDIS translates it for you. Once you've traveled in it, it will automatically translate all languages you hear to English, and everything you speak into the language of whoever you're talking to."

"Then come on, let's go check it out!" Dean grabbed onto Sam's shoulder. " What is it?, Doc? Allons-y!"

The Doctor nodded, smirking at Dean's use of his catchphrase. "Yes, please, explore! I didn't take you here to _look_ at the culture. Experience it!"

"Come on, Dean. Accompany me?" Donna held out her arm for Dean.

"You good, Sammy?" Sam nodded, and Dean ran off to the market with Donna. That left the Doctor with Sam, and the Doctor wondered if Donna had done that on purpose. She knew about his rocky relationship with the youngest Winchester, (which wasn't much better than his relationship with the oldest. For whatever reason, only Dean seemed to be a big fan of him.)

"Just you and me, Sam." The Doctor tried. "Let's have some fun, huh?"

Sam smiled politely, but there was a limited amount of excitement behind it. "I guess so."


	34. Dean and Donna

"So, is there some kind of alien etiquette I should know about?" Dean asked as he and Donna made their way through the marketplace.

It was pretty amazing, even though the advancement of these aliens... left a lot to be desired. It was more like traveling back in time, only that everyone was purple.

Donna shrugged. "It depends on where you are, I suppose."

"Whoa, wait," Dean stopped at one of the tables, where a woman(?) was selling jewelry. He noticed one necklace that looked eerily familiar...

Donna pointed it out. "Hey, isn't that your amulet?"

"What the hell?" Dean looked down at his amulet- the one Sam had given him one Christmas all those years ago. As far as he knew, there were no other like it. Apparently he was wrong. He approached the stand, where the alien greeted him with a smile.

"Hello, Sir. You looking for something special? Maybe for special someone? I have all you could need."

"Actually, I was wondering where you found this amulet?" Dean picked it up off the table. It looked _exactly _like his, down to the last detail. It was uncanny. "I have one just like it, see?"

"Ooh, yes, very special, that one. Sorry, sir. It's not for sale. Just for display." The alien explained, taking the amulet back.

"What? Why not? Where'd you even get it?"

"This amulet is _very_ special. It was given to me by an _angel_." She explained, her face in total awe. "He said I was very important."

Dean and Donna exchanged glaces. "And angel gave it to you?" _Great... I guess there's nowhere to get away from religious nuts..._

"Ooh yes. An Angel of our Lord, Sha. You could not see his wings, but I knew it was him."

"Uh-huh. Thanks for your time." Dean led Donna away from the stand. "That lady, or _whatever_ she was, is obviously crazy. This amulet can't be that special. My kid brother gave it to me."

Donna shrugged. "I don't know. She seemed pretty sure it was an angel."

"Exactly. Whatever. I just don't understand how she got it, if humans have never been here before."

"That is strange..."

"Oh hey, look!" Dean pointed to another stand that was selling food. "Can we buy stuff here? What kind of money do they have?"

"Oh, right," Donna pulled out a small container from her pocket. "The Doctor gave this to me. He said it was currency." She opened the container and spilled out the occupants into her hand. Small blue orbs fells into her palm.

"_Blue balls_? Are you kidding me right now?" Dean stared at the 'money'. "This is a joke, right?"

"I don't think so. Come on, let's eat."

If Dean hadn't seen people eating this stuff, he would never have believed it was _food_. He picked up a small black disc, and tried to bend it, but it wouldn't even break. "I can eat this? Like, it's safe?"

"Yes, very safe," The man said, smiling, (_Wait, he is smiling, right?_) Dean paid a single blue orb for three of them, and much to Dean's amazement, the seller accepted it.

"Alright, you first, Donna."

"What? Why me? You were the one who wanted to eat!" Donna said, taking one of the discs in her hand.

"Yeah, but you've probably eaten way more weird alien shit than me. The most foreign thing I've ever eaten was Indian food."

Donna shook her head, but still hesitantly placed the disc in her mouth. While the disc was rock solid, it seemed to become goo on her tongue. "Oh my god... it's amazing! It tastes like...Cherries jubilee!" She proclaimed, swallowing the last of it.

"Seriously?" Dean shoved the second disc in his mouth, and was pleasantly surprised by what he tasted. "No... it tastes like... apple pie! How the hell does it taste like apple pie?"

"You must be foreigners, hm?" The man at the counter laughed. "These have no taste themselves. Instead, it melts onto your tongue, and takes the flavor of whatever you find most pleasing."

"Holy Sha, this is amazing." Dean handed Donna the last disc. "We gotta get some more of this alien food."

Suddenly, a high-pitched scream erupted from somewhere in the market. Dean and Donna didn't even have to communicate to each other before dashing off to find the source of the yell.

They ran across a crowd of aliens all surrounding something in the middle of the aisle. They couldn't see through the long legs of the aliens, so they had to make their way through, instead. "Excuse me. Hey! _Excuse me_..." Dean made his way through the mass of people until he could see what they were staring at.

A dead body.

"What happened?" Donna finally got to Dean. "Oh my gosh..."

"Not again..." The alien beside them muttered.

"Wait, wait, again?" Dean asked, already morphing into his _hunter-mode_. "Does this happen a lot?"

"Not usually, but... recently it has. This is the fourth murder in a week, and we have no idea why or who."

"Damn it. Too late..." Dean glanced up across the crowd to whoever was talking. Much to his surprise, it was a human he didn't recognize. He wore a long black trench coat and had jet black hair.

"What is going on here? How'd he get here?" Dean turned to Donna, who shrugged.

The human looked up and saw them, meeting their troubled gaze. His eyes widened and he started to run over.

"Uh oh... should we run?" Donna nudged Dean. No humans could get to this planet, except them. Who knew how this man managed to get here, but he _had_ to be bad news.

"Uh... I don't know."

"Well I'll be damned... Dean Winchester?" The man grinned as he approached them.

"How do you know who I am?" Dean questioned. He certainly had never seen this guy before.

"Hm... guess you haven't met me yet. You do seem much younger..." The man smirked, looking him over. "Hello. My name is Captain Jack Harkness. Nice to meet you."


	35. Sam and The Doctor

The Doctor was trying to play nice with Sam, but nothing seemed to work.

He knew how close Dean was with his little brother, and so he wanted to at least have Sam like him. He just didn't get why Sam seemed to hate him so much. The younger he was, the more he ignored him, and for seemingly no reason. The Doctor couldn't think of a time he did something truly awful to the kid- unless, of course, he hadn't done it _yet_.

He found him self rambling on about the culture of the Shedirians, and about the star they orbited, alpha Cas. Alpha Cas was the brightest star in the Cassiopeia constellation. It was a large star, but it was much cooler than Earth's sun.

Sam seemed marginally interested in what the Doctor had to say, but he said maybe four words he entire time they were together.

"Sam, I can't help but notice you're being a bit quiet."

Sam glanced over at him, narrowing his eyes. "I'm not being quiet."

The Doctor laughed awkwardly. "Sam, that's the longest sentence you've spoken to me this entire time."

Sam turned away again, saying nothing. Yep, something was certainly up with him, and the Doctor was determined to figure out what. "Sam, did I do something to you? Because time is relative you see, and whatever it is, I haven't done it yet. So really, you're not mad at me, you're mad at _future_ me, and-"

"I'm not mad at you, Doctor." Sam interrupted. "You didn't... you didn't _do_ anything, really."

The Doctor frowned. "Are you sure? Because you seem pretty angry."

Sam sighed, running his hands though his hair. "Look, Doctor... I just don't like you hanging around my brother, that's all."

The Doctor tilted his head. "You don't want me hanging around... with Dean?" That was certainly not what the Doctor had imagined. Sure, in the past he had family members who were less than pleased to have the Doctor taking their relative as a companion, but Dean wasn't _really_ a companion. The Doctor considered him one, but it wasn't a permanent arrangement. He just stopped by every few years and took Dean out for a couple days. What was so wrong with that?

"Yes. Our lives are dangerous enough, you know? And on top of all that, _you_ show up with a freakin' amazing time machine that's bigger on the inside, and promise all these amazing adventures that always end up with somebody almost getting killed."

"Well-"

"It's not _real_? Don't you see?" The Doctor just stared at the increasingly flustered Sam. "This _wonderful_ experience you're promising him... it's a fairytale. It's imaginary."

The Doctor wanted to say that Sam was wrong. He wanted to tell him that yes, sometimes traveling with him was dangerous, but at the end of the day, the experience you have was still _real_ and still worth it. But even that he was beginning to question. "Sam... I-"

"Ahh!" A high-pitched wail startled them both, and without a second look at the other, they both ran in that direction.

They ran up to a large crowd of people, but they couldn't see anything from the back. "What happened?" Sam asked, aloud.

"Another murder," One woman explained, shaking her head. "What a shame..."

_Another murder?_ Sam glared at the Doctor. "Another one, huh?" To Sam, this proved his point completely. Of _course _they ended up somewhere with a serial killer on the loose. Just their luck.

The crowd began to disperse as some police officers (or at least what Sam guessed were this planets equivalent) pushed their way through the crowd to the body.

"Dean! Donna!" The Doctor spotted their friends, who were talking to some guy. The man was turned towards Dean and Donna, and away from the Doctor, but even from back there, he could tell that it was a human.

Dean glanced over, waving them to come to them. The Doctor and Sam ran to them immediately. "You know this guy, Doc?"

"Doc?" The man turned around. "Well would you look at that. It's my lucky day."

"Jack?" The Doctor couldn't help but smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you too, Doctor." Jack grinned. "If you must know, I'm on a job. And yes, it has to do with the dead body over there."

"Am I the only one who is, like, super confused right now?" Dean just stared at the two of them, waiting for some kind of explanation. "I still don't even understand who you are."

"Oh, sorry, Dean. This is Jack Harkness. He's... an old friend of mine." The Doctor explained.

"And can I just say, that it is _very_ nice to see you again, Dean." Jack smiled, raising his eyebrows.

"Stop it," The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Dean hasn't even seen you yet. I told you, no messing with the time lines."

"You know what's happening with these murders?" It was Sam who asked.

"Sammy, right?" Sam frowned at the use of his childish nickname. "I know a little bit. Enough to know it's no Shedirian killing these people. It's something from Earth."

"_Something_?"

Jack shrugged. "You guys should know better than anybody that not only humans cause trouble on Earth. And somehow, _something_ managed to find it's way out of it's own solar system, and into this one."

"It's a hunt," Dean grinned. He was starting to really like this planet. It wasn't so much different from Earth, after all.

"So, you guys wanna help me out with this, or what?"

The Doctor glanced over at Donna, who nodded, and then at Sam and Dean. "Well, we're hardly just observers, anyway. We might as well interfere a bit."

"Great," Jack and Dean said practically simultaneously. Then Jack continued, "Let's catch ourselves a killer."


	36. Classified

"Jack, how exactly did you get here?" The Doctor knew Jack was more advanced than most humans of this time, but he could no longer use his vortex manipulator and he shouldn't have been able to travel all the way here.

Jack just smirked. "Sorry, Doc. I can't tell you that. That's classified information."

"You workin' for somebody?" Dean asked, skeptically. He was going to help this guy catch a killer, but that didn't mean he trusted him entirely.

"Maybe. Maybe not. But that's not important. Catching this guy is important."

"What exactly do you know?" Donna pressed.

"Just that somebody stole some very powerful, very secret technology from Earth and came here with it. I don't know why, but they've been murdering locals ever since they got here." Jack explained.

"We should probably talk to the locals, then, and see what they know." Dean suggested. "Maybe someone's seen the guy, or has an idea on where he's hanging out."

"Good idea. Donna, you go with the boys. I'll go with Jack."

They split up; Donna, Dean, and Sam went off, leaving the Doctor to further question Jack.

"Come on, Jack, be honest with me. Who brought you here?"

Jack grinned, again. He did that a lot. Just like Dean. "I can't tell you that, Doc. But I can tell you this... the guy who sent me here... he knows _all_ about you."

The Doctor's eyes widened. "About me? How? Do I know him?"

Jack shrugged. "I don't know, but he sure acted like he did. And he knew about the Winchesters, too. He knew _a lot _about those two."

The Doctor did not feel good about this. He wished Jack would just _tell_ him who he was working for. He didn't like not knowing things, especially possibly dangerous things like this.

…

Sam, Dean, and Donna were off investigating. It was a bit harder when they couldn't pass as police officers or FBI agents. "When did these murders start happening?" Sam asked, trying to sound like a disturbed tourist rather than their usual gig.

The alien sighed. "It must have been just a week ago. There's been seven of them. Truly awful."

"Wow. I'm so sorry. Have you seen anybody suspicious? Did you get a glimpse of the guy?"

Meanwhile, Dean and Donna wandered around the crime scene, looking for any evidence of where the guy might have gone. Donna decided to take this alone time to question Dean. "So, Dean, I have to ask. What's going on between you and your brother?"

"What are you talking about?" Dean asked, feigning ignorance. He knew she would ask. It was only a matter of time.

Donna gave him a look. "You know what I mean, Dumbo. You both are acting strange."

Dean looked away from her, and back to the ground, pretending to concentrate on what they were doing. "He's just... I know he's just trying to help, but... I can't..."

Donna walked over to Dean, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Help with what?" Her voice changed to a more nurturing tone, which was odd to hear from Donna.

Dean met her eyes after some hesitation. "Just... my dad... he's gone."

At first Donna thought he was talking about when his father took off while Sam was at Stanford. But it only took a moment of looking into Dean's eyes to realize the truth behind it. "Oh, Dean... I'm so sorry." She wanted to hug him, but she wasn't sure he'd accept her gesture.

"Thanks, but it's okay. I... "Dean was exhausted from lying all the time to Sam. He really did want to open up to someone, but not Sam. He trusted Donna, and he didn't feel the need to hide from her like his brother. He didn't need to protect her. She could protect herself- and she had the Doctor. "Actually, it's not. I'm so lost, Donna. I don't know what to do without him. I know... I know he wasn't perfect, but he was family."

"Have you told Sam, that?" Donna already knew the answer. This was _Dean Winchester_ for heavens sake. He was too proud to admit his weakness to his brother. Donna was surprised he was even telling her.

Dean smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I can't, Donna. I don't want him to know. He needs me to be strong, especially now that Dad's gone."

Donna frowned. "Maybe he doesn't, Dean. Maybe he just needs you to be honest with him."

"I'm starting to think he doesn't need me at all, anymore."

Donna didn't get a chance to reply, because suddenly Sam was there, eyebrows raised. "You guys are supposed to be searching for clues, not gossiping."

Dean rolled his eyes, replacing his grim expression with his normal grin. "You find anything with that witness?"

Sam sighed. "Not really. She didn't see anything. Hopefully Jack and the Doctor have better than us. I assume you guys didn't find anything."

"Not a thing, Sammy. Not a thing."

"So now what?" Donna asked. "Ask around some more?"

Dean nodded. "You guys do that. I'm gonna go find the Doc and see what's up with him and trench coat guy."

…

The Doctor let out a sigh after he said goodbye to the witness. This was the fourth Shedirian they had talked to, and so far no one knew anything. "Whoever this guy is, he knows what he's doing." Jack commented. "Nobody saw him, and he left nothing behind."

"Doctor!" They both turned at Donna's voice.

"I hope you've had better luck than us," Jack greeted as she and Sam caught up to them. "Cause we've gotten nowhere."

"Same luck," Sam squinted his eyes, looking around. "Where's Dean?"

The Doctor looked at him, quizzically. "What do you mean? He went with you two."

"He did, but he left like half an hour ago to find you guys." Donna explained. "He never got to you?"

"Maybe he just got lost," Jack tried.

"God dammit, Dean," Sam cursed under his breath. He always had to go and get himself lost. Especially on strange alien planets. "We have to find him, now."

The Doctor nodded. "He must be somewhere in the market. It can't be too hard to find him."


	37. Mara

_**15,000 views? I mean, god damn, you guys are amazing! Thanks for reading! Enjoy!**_

Dean was wandering through the market, looking for the Doctor and Jack, when he saw something very, very strange.

Another human. "This day just gets weirder and weirder..."

The woman was tall and well-built, with short black hair. She wore dark clothes, and walked quietly, but she would still never blend in on _this_ planet.

There was something _totally_ not right, here.

Dean ran to catch up to her. "Hey, lady, excuse me!" She didn't respond, or even turn around. Instead she made a hard right turn, and walked straight out of the market. Dean groaned, but followed her out, anyway.

"Hold on- I know you're not from here. I know you're from Earth!" He called as they went farther and farther from the others.

He was right behind her when she spun around, suddenly. "I do not want to hurt you, but I will." She held out her hand, blocking him from going and closer. He noticed she sounded timid, scared even.

Dean held up his hands, showing her he meant no harm. "I don't want to hurt you either, lady. I just want to know how you got here."

"How did _you _get here?" She questioned, looking him up and down. "You're human too, I can tell. And no one on Earth can get here, yet."

"I got here via an old friend. A _not-human_ one. But I asked you first."

The woman narrowed her eyes. "I was brought here, against my own free will." She explained, dropping her hand. She suddenly collapsed into Dean's arms, startling him. "I didn't want to come here. He made me! He kidnapped me, and used some sort of weird machine to bring us to this dreadful planet!"

Dean glanced down at the now crying woman, unsure of what to do or say. "Uh, it's okay. Hey, it's okay. I can get you back home, I can help you."

The woman's tears stopped, and she stood back up, wiping them away. "You can? Oh, thank you! I thought I was stuck here forever!"

Dean smiled, kindly. "What's your name?"

"Mara."

"Okay, Mara. My name is Dean. I just need a favor, okay? And then I'll bring you back to my friend, and he can take you home." Mara nodded. "Tell me about the guy who brought you here. Where is he now?"

She frowned. "I was just walking home from my work at the law office when he bumped into me. I dropped all my papers, and he apologized and picked them all up for me. He seemed so nice... But then he told me to come with him. He told me he had something he wanted to show me. I said no, cause I had to get home... but he wouldn't take no for an answer! So... so he just grabbed me! And next thing I know... I'm here." Mara once again grasped for Dean's jacket, as if she was going to have a panic attack. After a few moments of breathing, she calmed down and continued. "I supposed he was kinda tall, with dark hair. I think he was wearing a trench coat, or something. I don't remember what he said his name was... it was something like..."

"Jack?" Dean asked, tilting his head.

"Yes! That was it! How did you know that?"

Dean's muscles tensed. "Lady, you must be talkin' about the wrong guy. I know who you're talkin' about, but he couldn't have done that."

"What are you talking about? You know him? You know Jack Harkness?" Mara's eyes went wide. Dean nodded, and her face dropped. "Well, that's just my luck, isn't it? Out of all the people on the whole fucking planet you may have run into me, it _had_ to be someone who knew that _prick_."

Dean stared at her. "Wait, what? I don't understand..."

Mara rolled her eyes. "You idiot. Jack Harkness didn't _kidnap_ me! He's chasing me!" Before Dean could fully process what she was saying, Mara pulled out a gun from her jacket. "Tell me, _Dean_. Are you working with Jack? Did he send you to find me?"

"Wait, are _you_ the murderer? You're killing all these Shedirians?"

"Well, _duh_. My god, how does that little brain of yours manage to control that huge body? You didn't answer me question."

Dean mentally checked all his weapons, noting the easiest one to grab would be the pistol in the back of his jeans. "No, I'm not working with Jack. I just know him, that's all, lady."

Mara pursed her lips together, not believing his lie. "Yeah, I don't think so. You're not as good as a liar as you think you are, boy. You're going to have to come with me."

Dean took a step back. "Why are you killing these people, huh? What did they ever do to you?" Dean hoped that the others would have noticed his absence by now. Maybe he could stall for a bit, like when he was captured by the Cybermen. Get her to talk for a while until back up arrived.

"It's not just _murder__, _Dean. I get nothing from killing people." Mara replied, matter-of-factly. "I'm just a thief. And sometimes, people get in the way."

"Oh, I see. You're just a thief. What a saint."

"I'm not surprised you don't see it that way. I know Jack wouldn't. But think of it like this: how much do you think people back at home would pay for some of the stuff I find here? These Shedirians may not be advanced the same ways we are, but in some fields, their technology is down right amazing. Back home, people are gonna love this."

"Come on, Mara. You don't have to do this. Put the gun down, and we can figure it out." Dean knew he had to at least _try_ to reason with her, but he didn't have much hope for that. He knew who she was. Not the kind of person who listens to logic and reason.

Mara just smirked. "Now, now, Dean. You _really_ think I give up that easily? Do you know how hard it was to get a functioning teleporter to bring me here? I won't even _bore_ you with the details on finding this thing, stealing it, and figuring out how it works. But I'm here now, baby, and I plan on staying until I have enough stuff to last me a lifetime."

"I figured you'd say that." Dean leapt forward, grasping for her gun. He managed to wrestle it out of her hand, and it fell to the ground beside them. Mara kicked her knee upward, hitting him straight in the jaw. He pushed her down with all his force, holding his jaw with one hand. "Ow! Bitch!"

"You deserved that one you dick!" From down on the ground, Mara started to kick at his legs and his knees. He tried to grab her legs, but she managed to dig one of her heels into the side of his knee, causing him to tumble down.

Dean pulled out his own gun, but before he even had time to point it in the right direction, he felt her hands on his face, forcing something between his lips. He tried to hit her or push her away, but she was on top of him now, and tussled the gun out of his hand. Dean had to give her credit- she was a lot stronger than she looked.

"Come on, swallow. I said _swallow_." She held her hand over his mouth, holding his nose. The other hand held the gun to his head. "I will pull this trigger. I think we've established that.

Dean felt the weird warm substance dissolve in his mouth. "It's something else I picked up here. It's like a sleeping pill. Knocks you right out. It helped me sleep after the first couple kills. Man, those were brutal."

Dean could help it as his vision began to fade, and Mara became harder and harder to see.

"Don't worry, buddy. I ain't gonna hurt you. Like I said, I'm not a murderer. Just hope whatever friend you were talking about doesn't try and get in my way. Cause damn, I can only have so much mercy in one day."


	38. Batman and Catwoman

"Are you sure you saw him walk this way?" Sam questioned.

The alien nodded. "There aren't too many of you here... where did you say you were from, again?"

"I didn't. You said he was following someone?"

"Yeah, some woman. She was like you with short dark hair, but she with dark clothing."

"Thank you." Sam left the alien and went back to the group. "He said Dean left the market this way, following a woman." He explained.

"You think she's the murderer?" Donna pondered. Why else would another human be here?

"He wouldn't be stupid enough to follow the murderer alone, would he?" Jack asked, and all he got in reply were frowns. "Right, I guess he would."

"At least we know where to look. Come on, let's go." The Doctor led the group in the direction the Shedirian had told them Dean went. It wasn't too long before Sam made them stop.

Sam knelt down in the grass, which was just like the grass at home. He ran his finger over a few of the blades, and it came back red. "There's blood, here."

Jack knelt beside him. "Not much blood. But seeing as how Shedirians bleed blue, this must be where they went."

"There are footprints here, leading up to it..." Sam continued, putting his hunting skills to good use. "But... there's only one leaving. It looks like... it looks like someone was dragged away..." _Damn it, Dean..._

"Where'd they go?"

Sam frowned. "Follow me."

…

"Son of bitch..." Dean groaned. He tried to pull his hands to his pulsing head, but they were bound together. He opened his eyes, blinking a few times until he could make out his surroundings.

"A shed? Really? This was all you could muster up?" Dean saw the woman standing in the corner, hovering over all her stolen goods. "I'm disappointed, Mara."

Mara turned around, grinning. "You're awake, Dean. That's good, I was starting to get lonely."

"I'm sure you were." Dean tried to silently pull at his restraints, but the rope was too tight for him to simply pull free. "So what's your plan, huh? Just leave me here to die while you go out and get your Catwoman on?"

Mara snickered. "Of course not, sweetie. I'm not going to leave Batman here to plot against me. I'm not that stupid; I know it will only be so long before you get out of those binds and run off to find the Justice League. No, I think my fun here is over. With Harkness on my tail, and now you, it's in my best interest to get the hell out of here."

"So you're going back to Earth?"

"No. _We're_ going back to Earth. This machine _should_ be able to manage both of us, plus all this fabulous loot." Mara shrugged. "I guess we'll find out."

"Look, lady, I ain't going anywhere with you. I'd much rather you leave me here and run off without me." Who knows where Mara would take them? It would be much easier for the Doctor to find him if he was still on this planet.

"Can't do, hun. Sorry." Mara turned back around, grabbing a small hand-held machine from her pile.

"Is that your teleporter?" Dean asked, and Mara rolled her eyes. "Where did you get that?"

"You'd never believe me, Dean. Let's just say I stole it from someone _very_ important." Mara walked over to Dean, kneeling beside him. She opened the side of it, exposing two little dials with a screen beside it. She typed in her 'destination. _Planet Earth, December 2010_.

"Wait, wait... you're from 2010?" Dean stared at the machine, incredulously. She _had_ time traveled, not just teleported.

Mara just shrugged. "Yeah, I know, I messed up a bit on the date when I came here. Ended up a few years in the past- what is it, 2006 or something? Anyway, don't ask me how I managed that. It was my first time."

Dean could hear footsteps approaching the shed, wherever they were. He said nothing, hoping it was his friends. "Aren't you going to get your things over here before we leave?" He said, motioning to the pile of stolen trinkets.

"Oh, yes, don't worry. I was just getting ready." She had just stood up when the door to the shed swung open.

Sam, followed by the others, barged in. Sam immediately drew his gun, but so did Mara. "Put the gun down, and step away from my brother." He demanded.

Mara smirked. "Dean, you didn't tell me you were here with _family_. And here I thought we told each other everything."

"Mara, come on, be smart, here." Dean pleaded. He knew Sam was ready to pull the trigger at any moment. "You can leave here one of two ways. _Alive_ and with Jack, or dead. Which one is preferable, here?"

Mara seemed to ponder his words. "You forgot my third option, hun. I can leave here alive, with my things, by myself. I believe I'd like door number three." She pointed the gun at Dean's head. "Don't test me, boy," She said, speaking to Sam, now. "I'm much faster than you. Now, put down _your _gun, or I'll kill your handsome brother, here."

Sam glowered, but slowly put the gun on the ground.

Mara smiled again. She turned her attention to Jack. "Jack Harkness. Glad to finally meet you. I'm sorry I have to leave so soon, but... I'm already late for my appointment."

"Come on, Mara. You know I'm not going to stop until I find you. You might as well give up, now." Jack took a step forward.

"I don't think so." Mara slowly back away, still keeping her gun aimed at Dean. "It was nice meeting all of you- especially you, Dean. But it's time for me to go." She put her hand on the stolen goods, and quickly flicked the switch on the machine. "Maybe next time, Batman."

By the time Sam managed to get his gun back off the ground, she was gone.

"Damn." Jack cursed. "I was so close."

Sam ran over to untie Dean. "Thanks, Sammy. You guys showed up just in time. She was going to take me with her."

"You're an idiot, Dean!" Sam ignored Dean's thank you. "You're lucky she didn't just kill you."

"What, kill me? She'd never." Dean grinned, but it didn't seem to lighten Sam's mood.

"We're glad you're okay, Dean." Donna walked up and gave him a hug.

"Thanks," was all Dean could think of to say.

"Maybe we should get going, huh?" The Doctor asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Sam replied.

…

"Sorry about Mara, Jack." The Doctor apologized. "At least you know who you're looking for, now."

"Yeah, don't worry about it, Doctor. It was good seeing you." Jack turned to everyone else. "It was a pleasure meeting all of you," He smiled, winking at Dean.

Dean's eyes widened, and he shared a glance with Sam.

They left Jack, making it back into the TARDIS.

"Well, Doc, I'll say that it was _certainly_ an adventure."

The Doctor sighed. "It seems they always are, aren't they?"

"Don't sweat it. That's the fun part." The Doctor smiled, but Dean's grin made him remember what Sam had said to him. Was he being reckless with Dean? He was older right now, sure, but most of the time he saw him he was just a kid. Was he bringing him into unnecessary danger?

Maybe Sam was right. Maybe Dean's trips with him _were_ just fairytales. And maybe they were only going to end up badly. The Doctor would never forgive himself if something happened to the kid because of him...

He set the coordinates, and flew them home. He landed the TARDIS just where it was when they had picked the boys up. "I'm going to miss you, Dean," Donna smiled, hugging him. "You too, Sam. It was nice to see you both."

"Goodbye, boys." The Doctor waved them off.

"Go ahead, Sammy. I'll be there in a minute." Sam didn't seem happy about it, but he said his goodbyes and headed into the motel room.

Dean turned back to the Doctor. "Look, Doc, whatever Sam told you... don't worry about it, okay?"

"What do you m-"

"You know what I mean. You keep giving me weird looks. What did he say?"

The Doctor sighed. "Nothing I didn't already know. This is... this is dangerous, Dean. Whenever I bring you on the TARDIS, I'm putting you in danger- danger that I'm not sure you fully understand."

"You saying you don't think I can take care of myself?"

"No, I'm not. I'm just saying... I have a responsibility. A responsibility to you to _not_ put you in danger."

Dean frowned. "Doc, look. I'm in danger every damn day of my life. I'm used to it. But the difference between everyday, and these trips is _you_. These are some of the best days of my life. Don't take that away just because my little brother is being overprotective."

The Doctor couldn't help but smile. Dean knew just what to say, of course. "You're right. I guess I'm being a little overprotective, myself."

Dean grinned. "Well, Doc, you should go. Somewhere out there, in my past or present, I'm waiting for you to show up with this freakin' blue box. Don't disappoint me."

"Never."


	39. Bad Timing

Dean was in a woman's bedroom, on her bed, shirtless, with her on top of him, when he heard the noise.

She ran her fingers down his chest, her lips on his own. They had just gotten started, hadn't even _done_ anything yet, but... "I have to go."

She pulled away, staring at him. "What?"

Dean sat up, listening to the noise fade away. No, that was _definitely_ him. The Doctor was here. "I, uh... I remembered something I have to get back to." It was a lousy excuse, but he didn't care. They were both drunk, anyway.

"You're not serious?" She covered herself with the blanket as he got up and grabbed his shirt.

Dean gave her an apologetic look. She _was_ gorgeous, of course. But they had only met a couple hours ago, and he didn't feel much of an attachment. "I'm really sorry."

"Whatever. Just get out," She groaned, throwing a pillow at him.

Dean hopped out of the house, trying to put on his shoes. He must have looked pretty odd when he finally found the TARDIS. His hair was disheveled, his shirt only half-buttoned, lipstick smudged on his lips.

But no one was there. "Doctor?" Dean knocked on the TARDIS door, but no one replied, or opened the door. He took a moment to organize himself before trying again. "Doc? You in there? You wanna let me in?"

Suddenly, he heard a click, and the doors slowly opened. "Uh, Doc?" Dean stepped inside, calling out for someone. "Hello?"

No one was in the control room, or responded to him. The doors closed behind him, and the lights on the control panel came on.

"Uh..." It was as if the whole TARDIS suddenly came to life. "Whoa."

He ran his hands over the controls. He had driven this thing once before, but he still didn't quite understand how it worked. He did remember one thing the Doctor had said, though. _The T__ARDIS __is a living creature, not just some machine. Treat it that way._

"Living creature, huh?" Dean smiled. "You let me in, didn't you? You know who I am."

Dean had never been in the TARDIS by himself. He wandered through the hallways, checking out all the different rooms he could without getting completely lost.

One of the rooms he found was a bedroom. It wasn't nearly as big as all the other rooms, but it was cozy. There was a bed pushed up against one wall, and a bag sitting at its feet. He poked inside it, and found it full of womens clothes. _Must belong to one of the companions..._

"Who the hell are you?" Dean spun around, and was surprised to see Martha Jones in the doorway, holding a baseball bat. "How did you get in here?"

"Martha?"

Martha's face twisted in confusion. "How do you know my name?"

Dean wondered if he should explain or not. "I, uh... I'm friends with the Doctor. Is he here? You can ask him!"

Martha squinted her eyes, but put down the bat. "Doctor?" She called out.

"Martha, I really don't want to d-" The Doctor walked in, stopping in his tracks as soon as he saw him. His face suddenly brightened. "Dean! Dean Winchester..."

"Nice to see you, Doc."

"How... how in the world did you get in here?"

Dean shrugged. "I, uh, I just knocked. I think the TARDIS let me in."

"The _TARDIS_ let you in? Is that even possible?" Martha asked.

"Oh, dear, I'm sorry. Martha, this is Dean Winchester. Dean, this is Martha." The Doctor introduced them. "And, yes, I do think that's possible, although rather unlikely... you said you just knocked?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah, and the doors just opened up and all the lights came on."

"How do you know this guy?" Martha, ignoring their conversation, looked at him with a skeptical impression. Dean was just glad she saw him _after_ he fixed himself up.

"_This guy?_ I happen to have known the Doctor here way longer than you, lady." Dean remembered his last (and first) encounter with Martha. She was so much nicer, then, and seemed to like him a lot. Now she seemed... bitchy.

The Doctor frowned, glancing between them both. "Yes, well... to be quite honest, I've only known him for a couple years- but he's known me for... what, 20?"

Martha's eyes widened. "Time travel stuff," Dean shrugged. "23, actually."

"I'm glad you showed up, Dean, as odd as it was..," The Doctor smiled. "Would you like to join us? I was just taking Martha back to her time for a while. We have to live in the _real world_ sometimes, I suppose." The look on his face told Dean that those may have been Martha's words, not his own.

"I just wanted to see what was happening, that's all, maybe see a movie. Of course, when I said that, I had meant in the _UK_, not the _US_..." Martha glared at the Doctor, but there was something playful in her eyes- something that was _not_ there when she looked at Dean.

"The TARDIS goes where she wants to go. I have little control." The Doctor explained. "Apparently, she wanted to pick up Dean, here."

Dean wasn't sure how much he believed the TARDIS was _alive_... it didn't make much sense to him, but then again, nothing about the Doctor _really _made sense to him.

Martha sighed. "So what are we going to do?"

"Let's eat, huh? We can take a break from traveling for a bit, and enjoy a nice meal with Dean, here." The Doctor looked over at Dean, expectantly.

"Uh, yeah, sure... it's, um, it's a bit late, here. It's one in the morning."

"Great. It won't be too crowded, then." The Doctor grinned, and so did Martha. "Martha, you go ahead. I have to show Dean something real quick..."

Martha threw a glance at Dean, but nodded anyway and left.

As soon as she was gone, the Doctor's shoulders slunk down. "What's up, Doc? What's wrong?"

The Doctor shook his head. "The TARDIS didn't bring us here, Dean. I did." Dean couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that the TARDIS didn't find him itself, and the Doctor seemed to notice. "Although how you got in here- that wasn't me."

"Why'd you come find me?"

"Because... I needed _someone_ else with us, just for a bit."

Dean frowned. "With you and Martha? Why, what did she do?"

"Nothing, nothing. Martha is incredibly intelligent, and very passionate. She's a wonderful companion, it's just... I'm worried she's going to leave."

Dean's eyes widened. "What, just bail on you?" He couldn't imagine anyone doing _that_. If he could travel with the Doctor full time, he'd never stop.

"I suppose so, yes. It's complicated. Anyway, I was hoping that some company may help."

Dean shrugged. "If you say so. She doesn't seem to like me, much." When he met her last time, it was way different. But he figured he shouldn't mention that.

"Give her time. You're a hard man _not_ to like, Winchester."


	40. Wound Up at Denny's

Dean could count on one hand the number of times he had ever been to a Denny's. He hadn't been since he was 16, and his Dad took him and Sam there after a hunt. It wasn't the most glorious of restaurants, and he never planned to go there again, but when you have nowhere else to go at 1am, you have to make some exceptions.

A short chubby man with a goatee seated them in a booth in the back. There were only two other tables taken- one sat two guys who were obviously drunk, and another had a family of three, who all looked exhausted and slightly pissed off.

They all got coffee, and sat awkwardly at the booth, looking over their menus. "See? Isn't this nice?" The Doctor received small smiles from both of them, but no one answered. "So, Dean, how old are you, now? What have you been up to?"

"I'm, uh, 27." The Doctor nodded. "I don't know what you've seen... I'm just hunting with Sam."

"Sam?" Martha asked.

"Yeah, Sammy. He's my brother."

"And what do you do? You... hunt?" Martha made a face, obviously disapproving.

"Not like animals, though." Dean smiled. "I hunt monsters."

Martha paused and glanced over at the Doctor, quizzically. "Monsters? He hunts _monsters_?"

"It's not as crazy as you think," The Doctor took a sip of his coffee. It was a bit too hot, and he didn't like coffee much. He preferred tea. "We see strange things everyday. So does he, just... closer to home."

The waiter cleared his throat as he approached. "Are you three ready to order?"

"I think so, yes," the Doctor smiled, but the waiter did not return the gesture. He just waited impatiently at the table, with a pad and pen ready to go.

The finished ordering, and the waiter went back to the back, without another word. "Well ain't he just a bag of sunshine, huh?" Dean scoffed. "Well, I guess that's what you have to expect when you go out to eat at 1 in the morning."

"So, how's Sam?" The Doctor asked, curiously. The last time he saw Sam hadn't gone so smoothly. Cybermen and all...

"He's fine," He answered, uncharacteristically unenthusiastic. "We're both doing fine, considering... well, my Dad and all."

The Doctor nodded, knowing what he must have meant.

"Are we going to see Sam, as well?" Martha asked.

"Uh," Dean had certainly considered calling Sam up when he heard the Doctor, but he decided against it. Sam wouldn't have wanted to come along, anyway. "Probably not this time. Sorry, Martha, looks like your stuck with just me."

Martha laughed a little at that, and Dean figured he was gaining a little ground. "I'll be right back. I don't think the food is getting here anytime soon, anyway..." The Doctor excused himself and left the table.

Martha stared down at her coffee. "Sorry if I've come off a bit harsh." He apologized. "I just, I wanted to go home for a bit, that's all. And instead, we ended up here, with you."

"Oh... it's cool. No hard feelings," Martha smiled, and she finally started to look like the Martha he had met before. "Besides, I probably could've been a little nicer. I mean, I know you hadn't met me yet,"

"You say it like you had already met me," Martha frowned. "Unless... you have..."

"Uh," Dean looked back down at his empty cup. The waiter hadn't come back, yet. "I don't think I should say anything about that..."

"I wasn't this mean to you, was I?"

Dean grinned. "No, no. You were really nice. You were... sweet."

Martha blushed. It was weird, meeting someone who already knew her. She wished she had known that before she almost bashed him over the head with a baseball bat. _Not a very good second impression..._

Meanwhile, the Doctor exited the poorly cleaned restroom. He was walking back to the table when he smelt something in the kitchen. Something was most certainly burning.

He wandered into the kitchen, and was surprised at what he found. A pan on the stove was up in flames, but he was able to quickly put it out. However, beside the stove, the chef was lying on the ground, face down, with blood pooling around her chest. Before he could do anything, the waiter walked in, saw the body, and screamed.

In only a few moments, Dean and Martha came running in. "Oh my god..." Martha knelt beside the woman, checking her pulse. There wasn't one. She turned her over, and there was a knife protruding out of her chest.

"What the hell happened?" Dean looked to the Doctor and the waiter for answers.

"I thought I smelt something burning, and I ran in to find her like this." The Doctor explained. "I didn't see anything, or anyone,"

Martha sighed. "She's long gone. There's nothing I can do..."

"We should call the police," The waiter didn't wait for an answer before running off to find the phone.

"Shit," The Doctor and Martha turned to Dean, who was kneeling behind the counter on the other side of the kitchen.

"What is it?" They both gathered around him, and saw what he saw. "Eww... what is that?" Martha could see the gooey lump that looked too much like human flesh for her comfort.

"It's a clue, that's what it is." Deans stood, glancing back over to the chef. "We're dealing with a shapeshifter. We can't let anyone leave until we figure out who it is."


	41. The Usual Gig

"Man, you guys really weren't kidding about the whole _monster_ thing," Martha muttered to Dean as they left the kitchen.

_A shapeshifter..._Martha couldn't believe it. She didn't _want_ to believe it. How could that possibly be true?

"What's going on?" The red-headed woman who was dining with her family was standing right outside the kitchen entrance. "We heard a scream. Is everything alright?"

"No. There's been an accident. Please, go sit back down." Dean tried to be polite, but the woman didn't budge.

"Young man, if something happened in there, I think I have a right to-"

"Actually, you don't." Dean pulled out one of his fake FBI badges from his jacket. "I'm Agent Henley. Please take a seat, ma'am."

The woman nodded slowly, going back to her wife and son. As soon as she walked away, Martha grabbed his badge from him. "Hey!"

"Is this real?" Martha inspected the ID. It looked legitimate, but it couldn't possibly be.

"Doesn't matter. Give it back," Dean snatched it from her. "I need to look professional. And it isn't very professional to have some lady taking my stuff, does it?"

Martha laughed. "Whatever. Can I get a badge, too?"

Dean raised his eyebrows. "What? Uh, not right now. I can't just make one out of thin air. This is an _art form_."

"The phones are out!" The waiter informed them as he ran in from the back room. "They're all dead."

"Here, use my cell-" Dean went to retrieve his phone from his pocket, only to realize he had left it on the side table of that womans'- _what was her name again?_\- house. "Or not... look, it doesn't matter. I'm going to take care of this." He flashed his badge to the waiter.

The waiter frowned. "I still think we should contact the police. I can go across the street and-"

"Not a chance," He cut the man off. "We don't know how long she has been like that. Anyone who left their table at any time- or anyone not _at_ a table- could have killed her. I need to know _who_." The waiter nodded begrudgingly. "Sir, please gather up the other customers in one area of the restaurant. Is there anyone else working here today?"

He shook his head. It was just me and... Amber..."

"Okay, thank you. Please go do that."

"Wow. You really know what you're doing, huh?" Martha smiled as the waiter left. "So you really do hunt... _monsters_?" She whispered the last part.

"I really do."

"How long have you been doing this? Is this, like, your job?"

Dean shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. I've been doing this for as long as I can remember." Well, that wasn't quite true. He could faintly remember a time before the fire. But he tried not to focus on that too much. There was no point. There was no going back. "Anyway, we need to get back on task."

"Right, sorry." Martha apologized, but she was still smiling. "Where should we start?"

"There's nobody else here," The Doctor, who had gone to check the rest of the restaurant for any stragglers, returned. "So assuming the _shapeshifter_ hasn't left already, it has to be one of these guys."

Dean nodded. "Okay, good. Let's go talk to our suspects."

"Look, man, I dunno what happened, but you can't hold us here..." One of the drunk men stood as he approached. "FBI or not, I got my rights..."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Look, sir, there was an... accident. The chef is dead."

One of the women gasped, and held their child- who must have been around 11- closer. Dean continued, "She was stabbed in the chest with a knife. It must have been someone in this restaurant, and I need to figure out who. So anyone who got up and went to the back for any reason is a suspect."

"I used the restroom, once," The red-head admitted. "But I swear I didn't do anything."

"Thank you. Anyone else?"

Everyone was quiet. Martha spoke up. "I saw both of those two go back there at least once." She pointed to the two drunks.

"What? No i didn't- wait... maybe I did..."

"I also used the restroom." The Doctor added, quietly. "I found her like that."

"I went back there to use the gumball machine..." The little boy, who was still clinging to his mother, practically whispered.

"Jacob!" His other, blonde, mother obviously didn't want him to say anything about that.

"So it's only you?" Dean looked at the blonde woman. "You, me, and Martha. We never got up."

The blonde woman frowned.

Dean sighed. "Alright. Everybody stay put. Martha, Doc, come with me."

He pulled the two of them to the side. "I don't know, man. It could be almost anyone. We can't let anybody go off by themselves, or we're screwed."

"Well, you're the monster expert, here, Dean. How can we tell which one is the shapeshifter?" The Doctor asked.

"Their eyes change color. They're, like, yellow. But they can keep that under control, and we won't be able to tell. The other thing is silver. Silver will burn them."

"I don't think this is the kind of place to have real silverware..." Martha commented. "Where are we going to get silver?"

"I have a silver knife in my car. And silver bullets." Dean glanced over at the increasingly restless group. "But I gotta go out and get it. You guys should stay here and watch them."

The Doctor nodded. "No problem. We'll make sure they're safe."

"Let's get to it, then." The Doctor and Martha began to walk away, but Dean grabbed Martha's arm and held her back. "You have to watch the Doctor, too. He could be the shapeshifter just as easily as any of those people."

Martha's eyes widened. "But-"

Dean shook his head. "It might not be him, Martha. It just looks like him. I'm just saying... be careful."

…

Dean unlocked the trunk of the Impala, which was parked on the side of the restaurant. He rummaged through the plethora of guns and knives until he found what he was looking for. A silver knife, and a gun loaded with silver bullets.

He closed and locked the trunk and turned around just in time to see a large pot striking him straight in the face.

He didn't even get a chance to see who it was before his vision went dark.


	42. Hidden Killer

_**Wow, 102 followers! Thank you so much, everyone! Happy Holidays!**_

"I have to go to the bathroom." The little boy, Jacob, whined.

Martha and the Doctor exchanged glances. The blonde woman, who they learned to be named Candace, looked up at them. "Can I please take him to the bathroom? You can't expect us to just sit here, indefinitely."

"Of course not. Here, I'll take the two of you." The Doctor offered.

Martha remembered what Dean had said about the Doctor. The Doctor had to be _The Doctor_, right? He couldn't be a _shapeshifter_ in disguise!

Still, she wasn't trusting him. Not with a kid. "It's okay, Doctor. I'll take them."

The Doctor gave her a look, but didn't say anything.

Martha led the mother and her child to the bathroom in the back. "So are you an agent, too?" Candace asked as they waited outside the stall.

"Uh, sort of. I'm in training." She lied.

"I wanted to work for the FBI when I was younger," The woman smiled, reminiscently. "But plans change, I guess." She paused. "You don't really think one of _us_ killed that poor woman, do you? I mean, we couldn't have."

Martha gave her a sad look. "I'm sorry. But we don't know _what_ to think right now. Anything is possible."

Suddenly, they heard shouting from outside. Martha told Candace to stay and wait for Jacob, and ran out. "What happened?"

One of the drunk men was all riled up and glaring at the Doctor. "This guy let the waiter leave!"

Martha stared at the Doctor. "You what?"

The Doctor shrugged. "He wanted to go across the street to borrow a phone and call the police." He explained.

"And so he just let him walk out! For all you know, he killed the chef!" The man argued.

"Doctor! Dean said-"

"It doesn't matter what Dean said!" The Doctor cut her off. He sighed, pulling her off to the side. "Look, I know you like him- I do, too! But you don't know everything about him. You don't know him like I do. He's not always in his right mind. You can't just trust him, blindly."

Martha didn't know what to say. "But... Doctor, I don't think-"

"Trust me, Martha. You know you can trust me."

Candace and Jacob came back and joined the others. "Yeah. You're right, sorry." Martha apologized quietly. Now she knew. This was _not_ the Doctor.

Unfortunately, Dean still hadn't gotten back from the car. She had nothing to protect herself, or the others with. And she had no idea what to do.

_A shapeshifter. A damn shapeshifter. Aliens would have been easier._

Maybe Martha didn't know what to do, but she certainly knew she wasn't just gonna wait around for Dean to get back.

"I, uh, I actually have to use restroom as well." Martha figured she could get out real quick and _find _Dean.

"You were just in there," the Doctor smiled. "Go ahead. I can watch them."

Martha walked causally to the restroom, praying that she was doing the right thing by leaving all those people with a possible monster.

As she got to the end of the hallway, she glanced back to make sure no one was looking before taking a hard left into the kitchen instead.

She held her breath as she stepped around the body of the chef, and made it to the window.

…

Dean awoke abruptly, shooting upright. "What the hell?" He had felt hands on his shoulders, and heard his name being called.

"Dean! It's me!" Dean's vision came into focus and he could finally recognize Martha Jones in front of his face. "Are you okay?"

Dean groaned, holding his head in his hands. Martha was knelt beside him, and still hadn't let go of his arm. "Martha? What happened?"

"I'm not sure, I just found you like this. Here, let me look at you." Martha tried to pry his hands away, but Dean resisted.

"Hey, stop it. I'm fine. My head just... hurts..."

He could hear Martha let out a scoff. "Oh, please. I'm practicing to be a doctor. Let me look."

Dean sighed, letting Martha inspect his head. "That's right. I forgot you were a doctor. Or a doctor-in-training."

"I never mentioned that."

"Well, you will."

Martha frowned. "You might have a concussion..."

Dean shrugged, standing up. "I've had worse. Where's the Doctor?"

"He's inside, but... he's not himself, Dean. I think he might be the shapeshifter."

"Did he leave at any point? Like, in time to hit me in the face with a pot?" Dean asked, bitterly.

" Well... no. But he did let the waiter leave."

"The waiter left?" Martha nodded. "God, I _knew_ it was that asshole who hit me. When I find him-" Dean stopped suddenly as he reached down into his pockets. "Shit. He took my knife and gun. I've got nothing."

"But which one is the shapeshifter?"

Dean never got to answer, because a shrill scream from inside the restaurant had them both running through the front doors.

"No! Stay away from me!" Christine, the red-headed mother was screaming.

"What's going on?" Dean rushed to her side, trying to calm her down.

"Agent! Keep him away from us!" She pointed accusingly at the Doctor, who was staring back, bewildered. "His eyes! I swear, I'm not seeing things! His eyes were yellow!"

The Doctor smirked. "Damn. Too clever for your own good, you are."

"I guess we know which one is the shifter," Dean muttered to Martha, stepping in front of the group to shield them from the monster.

"Not quite," they all spun around as the front door opened once again. The waiter strolled in, grinning- his eyes yellow.

"There's two of them?" Martha's mouth dropped.

"Good detective work, Martha," The Doctor- or, rather, the shifter pretending to be the Doctor- winked. "I was wondering how long it was going to be until you two idiots figured it out."

"Where's the real Doctor?" Martha had finally composed herself, over the initial shock of it all. Now she practically growled, "What did you do with him?"

"Don't worry, he's safe... for now." The shifter looked down at his body. "Although I must say, I am _really_ enjoying this new model. I think I may keep it. Maybe I'll go find his... what is it? Tardis?"

"What are you two trying to accomplish here, huh?" Dean tried to direct the conversation back to the murder. "Why are you going around, killing innocent Denny's chefs?"

The waiter chimed in, this time. "She wasn't _innocent_, you idiots. She was one of us."

It took Martha a moment to understand, but Dean caught on right away. "You killed another shifter? Why?"

"Because she was going to sell us out. To you." The Doctor-shifter sneered. "The three of us had been together for a long time. We've been working here- her as a chef, him as a waiter, and I as a dishwasher. You know, just makin' some extra cash. But lately we've been getting a bit... sloppy. Killing humans we really didn't have to. To us, it's no big deal. But _Amber_ seemed to be gaining a conscious."

"And then _you_ walked in," The waiter continued. "Mr. Dean Winchester. We know who you are. We've heard about you. She was gonna rat us out to a _hunter_, and I wasn't going to let that happen."

"So what's your plan, now? You just gonna kill us all?"

The Doctor grinned. "Yes, I think we will."


	43. Can I Ask You A Question?

The Doctor leapt at Dean, who reversed the attack, sending the shifter to the ground. The shifter grabbed Dean's leg, pulling him down with him.

At the same time, Martha went after the waiter, knowing _he_ had the weapons.

She kicked him as hard as she could in the crotch. With a pained groan, he went down, but was still able to kick her away when she went to grab the knife from his jacket.

She kicked him again, trying to jab her heel into his chest. She reached down, and grabbed the knife. He tried to snatch it back from her, but momentarily forgot it was pure silver. His hand began to sizzle and burn, and he pulled away.

Dean pinned down the shifter that looked like the Doctor, but the shifter was just smiling. "I have his memories, you know..." It sneered. "Not all of them, but they're coming... he's been around a looong time..."

It managed to get one hand free, and punched him square in the jaw. He struggled to get Dean off of him, but was ultimately successful. He climbed on top of him, pinning _Dean_ to the ground. "I got all his memories of you, though. And man, you don't even _want_ to know what I know."

"Shut up," Dean growled, but couldn't move.

"Hm... Dean Winchester. Do you want to know when you die?"

Dean's eyes went wide, but before he could say anything else, the shifter was knocked in the back of the head with a glass plate. The ceramic smashed, and the shifter fell over, momentarily dazed.

Candace was standing over him, looking terrified. "Agent? Are you okay?"

Dean nodded, standing up. "Thank you." He offered, quickly, before turning his attention back to the shifter.

"Dean!" Dean glanced up just in time to see Martha toss his silver knife to him. He caught it, and without hesitation, drove it into the shifters chest.

When it was dead, he quickly went over to the shifter Martha had pinned with her heel, and took care of him as well.

Apparently, Martha didn't want to do the actual killing. He didn't blame her.

…

Everyone was generally okay, although mentally scarred for life. Somehow, Dean convinced them not to call the police until they found the Doctor- the _real_ Doctor.

He and Martha searched the restaurant until they found him, tied up in the storage closet.

As soon as they found him, they _bolted_.

…

"Are you sure you're okay, Doctor?" Martha asked again. She and the Doctor were in the backseat of the Impala as Dean drove.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," When he had gone to check if there was anyone else in the restaurant, he ended up finding a dishwasher in the back. When he tried to take him to the rest of the group, the dishwasher attacked him. That was the last thing he remembered until he woke up inside that storage closet. Martha filled him in, in the car. "So, is this kind of thing normal for you, Winchester?"

Dean smiled. "Yeah, kinda. It normal for you?"

"More than you'd think."

The Impala came to a stop beside the TARDIS. "Well, we're here."

They all climbed out of the car. The Doctor looked over at Dean. "Did you want to accompany us, Dean? There's plenty of room... as long as Martha doesn't mind."

"Of course not." Martha grinned. She hadn't been particularly happy to see him at first, but things change. She'd love to have him with them.

Dean glanced at the TARDIS. He'd be thrilled to go. He would always be thrilled. But Sam was waiting for him, and he had his own responsibilities. He couldn't leave that all behind, not right now. "I'd love to, Doc. But I'm not sure now is the best time."

"Understood." The Doctor nodded. He was a little disappointed, honestly. But he wanted Dean to warm up to Martha, and he seemed to do that. Martha seemed happy, and that was all he could ask for. "It was nice seeing you, Dean. It always is."

"You too, Doc."

The Doctor glanced at Martha before retreating into the TARDIS.

Martha stood in front of Dean, looking up at him. "Sorry again, for how we met- or, I guess, how I met you."

"Sorry for dragging you into a Denny's run by shapeshifters..." Dean grinned.

Martha laughed, and they fell into an awkward silence. "I guess I should go. The Doctor's waiting, and he's not the most patient person."

"I guess you should." Dean agreed, but neither moved. "Can I ask you a question, Martha?"

"Go ahead."

"Would it be terribly inappropriate for me to kiss you?"

Martha smiled, blushing."No, I think that would be entirely appropriate."

Dean leaned down, cupping her face in his hands, and pressed his lips against hers. He wasn't entirely sure what came over him, but he didn't question it.

He pulled away. "I've changed my mind. I think I'll come with you guys."

_**Please review and let me know what you think!**_


	44. I'm Lovesick (Or Seasick)

The Doctor knew something was up the moment Dean changed his mind about coming with.

He chose to ignore that gut feeling, however, because he was truly glad that Dean _did_ decide to come, and he was glad that Martha was no longer asking to go home. She was happy, Dean was happy, and, now, the Doctor was happy.

Their first stop was actually quite calm. It wasn't too often that Dean and the Doctor got together and weren't immediately met with disaster. He took them for a small vacation to the upside-down forests of 55 Cancri e, (an uninhabited planet in the 55 Cancri system.) They decided to camp out there, since Dean had told them stories of camping with his own family when he was a kid. Martha had never been camping, so it seemed like a good idea.

Martha spent most of the trip considering her feelings for Dean Winchester. He had kissed her, after all. Since then, neither of them had brought it up, but she was sure it was on both of their minds.

She felt a little silly about it. She hadn't even known him for very long, although he made quite the impression.

But then there was the Doctor, who she couldn't help but feel for. Yet, to be perfectly honest, he didn't seem to reciprocate those feelings. Maybe it was for the best that she moved on.

They all laid beside each other, one by one, staring up at the massive trees that pointed down towards them. Dean couldn't help but think how extraordinary all of this was. He could never dream this up.

Of course, he could never dream up Martha either. She was beautiful, and strong-willed. She seemed to like him, and certainly didn't resist when he kissed her. _And yet_, he reminded himself, _you ran into her while leaving some woman's house who you were absolutely planning to sleep with._

He wasn't exactly boyfriend material. Hell, he probably wouldn't even live long enough to have a serious relationship. Was it wrong of him to lead her on like this, when inevitably he would just have to break it off before it ever really got started?

"Is something up with you two?" The Doctor asked, suddenly. They both turned to look at him. "Something that I should know about?"

Martha frowned, shrugging. "I don't know what you mean, Doctor." She chanced a sideways glance at Dean, who just smiled.

"Don't think so, Doc."

"Hm," The Doctor left it there.

That night they slept out under the trees, and the next morning they packed up and went back to the TARDIS. "Where to, now?" Dean asked.

"I have a pretty good idea..." The Doctor grinned. "Methuselah."

Dean and Martha shared a confused look. "As in the really old dude from the bible?"

"No, not quite. It's named after him, though." The Doctor set the coordinates, and started pulling levers. "I've never been there, in all my years, but I know this: it's the oldest planet left in the universe."

"How old is it?"

"13 billion years, about." The Doctor answered. "I hear it's amazing, though. You two up for it?"

…

Martha opened the doors and peered out. "Oh my gosh..."

"What? Lemme see," Dean asked, impatiently, like a little kid. He opened the door wider so be could see out.

The TARDIS had landed on a small strip of land, covered in lush green grass and exotic looking flowers. Everything was brightly colored- almost too bold.

Surrounding the land for miles and miles, was water. Dark, black waves crashed against the grass. "Holy shit,"

The Doctor nudged them out of the way and walked out onto the grass. "This _i__s_ quite beautiful."

"How do we get anywhere," Dean wondered out loud. "If everything's water?"

"Probably with that," Martha pointed behind the TARDIS to a small boat tied to a stick in the ground.

"Is this just a huge coincidence that there's a single boat right where we landed?" Dean untied the boat. "Or...?"

"Or someone was expecting us," the Doctor finished.

…

Unfortunately, whoever left the boat for them did not leave any directions for where to go. There seemed to be just water everywhere.

The three of them managed to squeeze into the small space, albeit a little uncomfortably. The Doctor sat in the front, with Martha in between him and Dean.

"Whoever left us this boat obviously didn't know there were going to be three of us." Martha muttered. "Apprarently their seeing-the-future powers are limited."

"I'm more interested in _who_ it is." Dean tried to move back a bit to make more room, but it didn't really work. "Who could possibly have known we were coming?"

The Doctor was lost in thought. This was an awfully old planet, but it was hard to reach. He knew very little about who lived on it, so he had no idea what to expect. Whoever was here must have been very powerful, and that meant possibly dangerous. Maybe coming here was a mistake.

"Your knee is in my back," Martha complained.

"No it's not," Dean argued. "I'm not even touching you."

The Doctor glanced back at them, "Okay, you two, let's not act like ki-" _CRASH!_

Suddenly, the boat stopped, as it seemed to crash into nothing. They all looked forward, but all they could see was water. "What the hell?"

"Look!" The scene before them began to flash, like there was, in fact, something in front of them. "It's... It's like invisible."

"You mean like a force-field?" Dean grinned. "Awesome."

"We seemed to have crashed into it. Look, it's cracked." The Doctor pointed to a small crack was visible right where they had hit. The crack seemed to be floating midair, but now they knew better. There was something there.

"It looks like it goes on forever..." Martha commented. "How are we going to get passed it?"

"Hm," The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver. "Maybe I can deactivate the invisibility somehow. Then we can see what we're dealing with."

"Screw that," Dean scoffed. "Who knows how long that will take. Here, move over." He maneuvered his way around to the front of the boat. "Us bumping into it made it appear for a few seconds. I betcha I can make it appear permanently."

"Dean, what are you going to do?" Martha asked, worriedly.

"I'm gonna get us a good look at this thing." Without further explanation, Dean pulled out a knife, that he kept hidden in his jeans just in case, and jabbed at the wall as hard as he could.

"Dean!"

As soon as the knife was shoved through the wall, two things happened.

The first thing was that the wall began to flash, and the facade of the open ocean disappeared. The force-field was broken, and they could now see land before them. A little farther back was a small, square building that was perfectly white.

The other thing that happened was a huge electric shock went through the knife and into Dean.

He dropped the knife and fell backward into the boat, almost knocking the whole thing over.

"Dean! Are you alright? Can you hear me?" Martha and the Doctor crowded around him, trying to wake him up, but he wouldn't respond.

The Doctor glanced up at the white building and hoped that whoever had sent them here would be willing to help.


	45. Destiny Sucks

"Hello? Please, we need help!"

Martha knocked furiously on the door as the Doctor tried to wake Dean up. The force-field was powerful, and while Dean did a lot of damage to it, it had in return done a lot of damage to him.

"My friend needs help!"

She went to bang on the door of the white cubed building again, but as she went to, the door opened. A man appeared in the doorway. Martha stared at him, jaw dropped, but he didn't say anything. He just pushed passed her and went straight to Dean.

"Move," His voice was deep and forceful, and the Doctor, while hesitant, moved without argument. The man bent down and extended two fingers. As soon as his fingers touched Dean's forehead, Dean awoke.

Dean's eyes shot open, and he gasped for breath. The last thing he remembered was shoving that knife into that stupid force-field. His vision focused until he could see a man's head hovering above his own. "What the hell-?"

The man stood up, glancing around at the other two. "You were not supposed to bring him here."

"Who, Dean?" The Doctor bent down to help Dean up. "Who are you, exactly?"

The man frowned, as if he didn't really want to answer. "My name is Castiel."

"Alright, Castiel. Not that I'm not grateful for you helping me," Dean looked the dude over. He looked relatively normal, and yet he was able to completely heal him. "But how exactly did you help me?"

"This is not a matter I wish to discuss with you," Castiel replied, bitterly. "You shouldn't even be here. If we had known you were coming, we never would have sent that boat."

"What, you have a problem with me?"

"It's not like that..." Castiel's jaw clenched, and it was obvious he was getting agitated.

Dean tried again. "That still doesn't explain how you healed me."

Castiel squinted his eyes. He looked over at the Doctor. "You, Doctor, do you know who I am? Or what I am?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Should I?"

"You tell me, Doctor. You're the one who travels through time."

"How is it that you know so much about us?" Martha asked. "And how did you know we were coming?"

Castiel fixed his gaze on Martha. "I have not spent much time on Earth, but I know much about the people on it. I am an angel. An angel of the Lord."

Martha's jaw dropped. "An angel?" She looked over at the Doctor, who looked just as surprised as she was. "Is that... is that even possible?"

"No fucking way," Dean scoffed before the Doctor could answer. "There's no such thing."

"What? You think you know everything about this universe?" Castiel took a step forward. "You, boy? Hasn't your time with the Doctor showed you how little you actually know?"

Dean clenched his jaw. "I still don't believe it."

"Dean, wait," The Doctor interrupted. "Look, I would have agreed with you... but I saw what he did. It's unlike anything I've ever seen. I mean, I've only seen healing powers like that from the Time Lords."

"So maybe he's a Time Lord."

The Doctor frowned. "That wouldn't be possible."

"No. It wouldn't." Castiel agreed, knowingly. It gave the Doctor a bad feeling. "But I'm not a self-proclaimed 'Lord'. I'm a warrior of God."

"What would an angel be doing on the oldest planet in the universe, anyway?" Dean pointed out. "This isn't exactly Eden."

"You seem a bit far from home as well, Dean," Castiel ignored his petty remark. "But I think it's about time you went home." Before anyone could do anything, Castiel reached forward and pressed his hand on Dean's forehead.

"Hey, what the f-" Dean tried to lean away, or swat his hand anyway, but he didn't have a chance before his eyelids began to droop, and then suddenly he was on the floor.

"Whoa, whoa!" The Doctor ran to Dean, and tried to wake him up, but he was out, once again. This trip was not going well for him. "What did you do to him?"

"I simply put him to sleep. He'll be fine." Castiel seemed completely unphased by any of this. "Now we can talk."

"What do you want to talk about?" Martha asked, sarcastically. "What could you possibly want with us? We don't even know who you are!"

"I told you what-"

"No, not what. Who!"

Castiel frowned. "You both will know me, eventually. And it honestly doesn't matter if you meet me now- although you weren't supposed to. But Dean... Dean should not have met me. He should have never seen this place. God has a plan for him, and you are putting all of that in jeopardy by exposing him to things from his future.

"I had no idea that you were here! I didn't even know he shouldn't meet you!" The Doctor argued.

"It's not just this, Doctor. It's all of this." The Doctor just stared at him. "Dean has a destiny. He He has much to accomplish in his life. If you do not let him go down that road, there will be great consequences."

"I'm not trying to change his destiny, or whatever you are implying." The Doctor protested, although he knew it was somewhat a lie. Several times he had considered taking Dean away, and keeping him from having to live the future that he had seen. But he never did. Not because some supposed angel told him he had a destiny. But because he didn't think Dean would come.

True, Dean did like the Doctor. And he loved traveling in the TARDIS. But leaving home would mean leaving Sam, and he would never do that. The Doctor knew that no matter what happened, he would always he second priority to Dean. And that was okay. But that also meant it was better if he just didn't ask.

"It doesn't matter what you are trying to do. But that doesn't mean you aren't going to change his path." Castiel took a step forward. "Don't do that to him, Doctor. He has a great destiny. He is going to be a hero. Don't try and change that for your own benefit."

The Doctor couldn't find it in him to reply, but Martha did. "Alright, that's enough." They both turned to her. "I don't care who or what you are, Castiel. And I don't care what you think you're doing. All I know is this- Dean is in charge of his own destiny. He is in charge of his own life. And no one, even the Doctor, is going to change that."

Pause. "I hope you're right, Martha Jones."

"Now, if you will, wake Dean up, and take us back to our ship."

Castiel squinted his eyes, but agreed. "When Dean wakes up, he will have no memory of this. I would appreciate it if it stays that way."

"Maybe it will, maybe it won't."


	46. The Angel Problem

_**Sorry it's been so long since I updated. I've been sick, and I haven't had time to write. I should be back on track, now.**_

Dean was still out in one of the TARDIS' bedrooms. Castiel had agreed to teleport him there, but he didn't stay long after that. Before he left, he had one final warning. "Remember what I said, Doctor. This is your only warning."

"I'm not afraid of angels, Castiel." The Doctor responded, darkly. "I've faced enough creatures in my time. Many with a similar God-complex. They all believe in the 'mission'. You are no different."

Castiel stared back at him, unmoving. "I know your story, Doctor. You have met many. But you have just met me."

He disappeared, leaving Martha and the Doctor sitting in a long silence in the control room.

Eventually the Doctor broke the silence with, "We should take him back."

"Dean? Back where? Home? He didn't want to go back. He wanted to stay with us." Martha argued. She didn't know if she believed Castiel, or whoever he was. But she did know that no one should have a say in Dean's future except himself.

"Yes, I know, but..." The Doctor sighed, leaving against the console. "I just feel like I'm _interrupting_ his life, his story. Like in another universe, I never would have met him, and his life would have turned out differently."

"So what? He likes being here. It's _his_ decision, either way. Not yours, and not Castiel's." Martha could only hope that he chose the Doctor and her, but she was sure he would. He didn't seem like the kinda guy who believed in fate.

But it didn't really matter, because they couldn't tell him any of this.

"What are you ever going to do, Doctor? Just kick him out? He doesn't remember any of this!"

"Yes, I suppose you're right..." He glanced over at the hallway where Deans room was. He had traveled with so many important people in his life. They never knew they were important- like Rose who thought she was destined to a life of minimum age work and sharing an apartment with her mother. But the Doctor brought out her true potential.

If nothing else, the Doctor knew he was good at that. Showing people what they could achieve. But what if Dean was already going to achieve, without the Doctors influence? What if the Doctor was only holding him back?

"Right about what?" They both turned as Dean walked through the threshold, his hand rubbing his head.

"Dean, you're awake." Martha smiled, trying to seem normal. She wondered how much he remembered.

"Yeah, but my head hurts like hell. I've never felt this bad without being hungover... I'm not hungover, am I?"

"Nope. We just decided to let you sleep. You seemed pretty out of it, if you remember." The Doctor grinned, carefully gauging Dean's memory. He motioned for the boy to join them.

"Not really. It's weird. My memories all fuzzy. Like, I can remember, but I can't..." Dean sighed. "That doesn't make sense, does it?"

"Not at all." The Doctor shrugged, sharing a glance with Martha.

Martha wanted to tell Dean the truth, but in the end she decided not to go against the Doctor. She wasn't going to call him out. "So, Doctor. What now?"

"Actually, Martha..." Dean interrupted, sitting down between her and the Doctor. "I think I should go back."

"What?" Martha couldn't hide her confusion. Maybe he _did_ remember, or he overheard...

Dean looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry, it's just... My brother..." He had left at a bad time. He couldn't stay away forever, even though he felt like it. He had to go back, and take care of his little brother. Especially now.

"We understand, Dean," The Doctor spoke for them both, secretly grateful for Dean's decision. It made his a hell of a lot easier.

The Doctor set the TARDIS to Dean's time while Dean and Martha talked quietly, together.

"You're really leaving so soon?"

"I got to, Martha. But I'm not leaving permanently. You'll see me again." Dean promised, and for the first time in his life he _knew_ his promise would stay true. Martha would see him in Ireland, and they'd have quite the adventure with the Morrígan. He could only hope that _he'd_ be seeing _her _again.

Martha nodded, glancing over at the Doctor to make sure he wasn't listening. "So I guess the kiss didn't really mean anything, huh?"

"No, it did. It definitely did," Dean took her hand. "I really like you, Martha. But... I have a life at home, with my brother. A bloody, dirty, dangerous life. What could I possibly give you other than that?" Martha didn't say anything. "You deserve a much better man, Martha."

"Oh, that's crap." Martha retorted, harshly, while keeping her voice low. "I don't _deserve _anything. I know what I want, Dean Winchester. And honestly, I don't know if that's you. But you're not giving me a chance to find out."

"We're here," The Doctor announced, interrupting them.

Dean let go of her hand, and instead pulled her in for a hug. "I'll see you later, Martha Jones."

"You better."

"It's always a pleasure," The Doctor gave him a hug as well.

"You too, Doc. Don't stay away too long, okay? I'm gonna miss this."

The Doctor and Martha watched Dean leave, each with their own mixed feelings. After a moment, the Doctor leaned over. "So, he kissed you?"

Martha shot his a look. "You were eavesdropping?"

The Doctor grinned. "Dean is a good man, Martha. But I'm not sure you're ready for his life."

"What, you don't think I can handle myself?" Martha challenged.

"I never said that." The Doctor assured her. "You know what I meant..."

"It doesn't matter anyway. He left."

The Doctor stayed silent. He wanted to say "Not for long," but he wasn't sure anymore.


	47. Dead Mans' Final Wish

Dean and Sam were on good terms for once. Sam felt like he was walking on thin ice, but... still, they were better than they had been in a while. He didn't want to think about why.

Dean had let him drive, which was quite the surprise to Sam. Still, he accepted without saying anything. He knew him pointing it out would only make him pissy, so he didn't. Again, thin ice.

Dean had the radio turned up to practically full volume, totally violating the "driver picks the music rule", and was tapping along contently in the passengers side.

Sam wanted to talk to him. Even if it wasn't about the problem he so desperately wanted to discuss. At this point, he would talk about _anything_ with his brother. He had gone into this weird stage where he barely talked unless he needed to. He thought it might have something to do with what happened in Pittsburgh, but he honestly didn't know _what_ was going on with him.

And because of his prolonged silence, Dean scared the crap out of Sam when he suddenly sat up and yelled, " Wait! Pull over!"

"What? Why?" Sam turned his blinker on as Dean turned down the radio. He pulled into a Gas 'n Sip parking lot, and Dean was out of the car before he managed to turn off the engine. "Dean, seriously, what's wrong?"

"Nothin', Sammy. Nothing's wrong. Keys, please." Sam tossed him the keys and Dean popped open the trunk. He grabbed their duffel bags.

"Dean, what did you see?"

Sam could tell Dean was hardly holding back excitement. "I saw the TARDIS."

Dean tried not to notice Sam's shoulders sag a little at the mention of the TARDIS. He knew that his brother wasn't the Doctor's number one fan, but he hoped that, given the circumstances, he wouldn't complain too much. "Oh. The Doctor?"

"Yup. I figured we could say hi."

"That looks like a little more than a casual visit, Dean." Sam glanced down at the duffel bags.

"Okay, maybe not. Come on, Sammy. I just one one more big adventure, okay?"

Normally, Sam would've argued. The Doctor was dangerous and reckless, and a trip with him is just asking for a messy end. But... It seems that Dean managed to find that all by himself. Maybe it wasn't so bad of an idea. "Alright."

"Alright?" Dean repeated. "Alright. Let's go, then."

They left the Impala at the Gas 'n Sip, knowing that they'd be back in just a few minutes.

It was on the way there when Sam had an idea: a long-shot, maybe, but a valid idea. Human souls were brought to Hell by Hellhounds. But... how far could Hellhounds go to retrieve the soul? Could they go, say, into outer space?

He never thought he would say this... But he needed to convince the Doctor to take Dean away from here. Sure, the Doctor was dangerous. But Dean seemed to be his own worst enemy at the moment. If the Doctor could keep Dean from the Hellhounds, they would have enough time to figure out how to get him out of his deal.

A bad idea? Yeah, probably. But it was his only idea.

Dean led them to the TARDIS, which was sitting, unnoticed, on a street corner. It seemed amazing to Dean that so many people could just walk by this machine without giving it a second thought. No one ever stopped to ask _why_ there was a police call box on the street corner. It was just _there_ and they accepted that.

He walked up to it and knocked, but no one was in there. "You think he's going to be back any time soon?" Sam asked.

Dean shrugged. "Could be. We can wait inside if you want."

Sam raised his brow. "Inside? How?" As far as he knew, only the Doctor could open the TARDIS.

Dean smiled, and Sam thought he looked a little proud of himself. "She likes me. She'll let me in."

"She?"

Dean knocked on the door again, "Hey, can I come in?" There was a pause where Sam was sure his brother had gone crazy, but then, suddenly, he heard a click, and the doors opened.

Sam felt intrusive, walking into the TARDIS without the Doctor. Dean seemed perfectly comfortable, though. It was like he was walking into his own living room. Sam tries not to feel jealous.

It was so stupid, anyway. He was a grown man. He hunted monsters for a living. To some people, he was a _hero_. And yet when it came to his big brother, it was like he was a little kid again.

And it didn't make it any better now that he was dying. Deans clock was ticking, and this time next year he'd be gone. Unless he could stop it. And damn it, he was going to stop it- and maybe the Doctor could help.

"Thanks for comin', Sammy." Dean stopped by the controls, running his hands over a lever. "I know you don't really like this thing."

"I don't _not_ like it," Sam shrugged. "It can be... interesting."

Dean wandered off to see some of the other rooms, but Sam elected to stay behind. Again, he didn't feel as welcome here as his brother did. He didn't want to get into the Doctors business.

He looked around the main console room, seeing if he could recognize anything. After a good 15 minutes he still couldn't figure out how the machines worked. It was certainly alien.

Soon after he gave up trying, he heard voices approach the door. Both loud and dynamic, like they were arguing, but without any enmity. "Uh, Dean!"

The doors open, and the Doctor walked in first, followed by Donna. They both froze, staring at Sam for a second before recognizing who it was. "Sam!" They both grinned. "How did you-?"

"Oh, uh, Dean..." Sam stumbled awkwardly.

"Deans here as well? Where'd he go?" The Doctor didn't seem to wonder how Dean got into the TARDIS, so he figured he knew Dean had some secret code or whatever.

"He was in the back..."

Donna rolled her eyes. "Of course he is. I'll go fetch him." She smiled at Sam once more before leaving.

"So, I guess you guys saw the TARDIS, huh?" The Doctor was forever in awe of the huge agglomeration of coincidences that surrounded he and Deans relationship. Only a handful of times did one of them search out the other. The other times they met were pure chance. That had to mean something, right?"

"Yeah. Dean wanted to stop by, say hi." Sam wondered how he would ask the Doctor about taking Dean with him. He also wondered how he was going to explain why. Dean probably wouldn't want the Doctor to know about his deal. As far as Sam could tell, their relationship was more about fun and adventure than anything else. He doubted Dean would want to reveal such a secret.

The Doctor motioned to the duffel bags laying on the floor near the door. "And I assume you plan on staying for awhile?"

Sam shrugged. "Yeah, why not."

The Doctor nodded. "Well, you're always welcome."

"What's up, Doc?" Donna had returned with Deans arm draped around her shoulder. She was giving the Doctor a look of part annoyance, part amusement.

"Dean. This is quite a surprise, finding you in my ship."

"What can I say? I can-"

Suddenly, he was cut off when all the lights went on on the console. All parties stared at it in surprise, but before the Doctor could reach it to find the cause, the TARDIS began to move. The sound they all knew so well began, and the TARDIS disappeared from the street corner, without any of its occupants having any idea where their destination was.


	48. She Knows

"Does the TARDIS _usually_ fly by itself?"

"No, not usually..." The Doctor attempted to stop the ship, but it was like she was blocking him. The TARDIS often had a mind of her own, and it appeared like she was using it right now.

The ship came to a sudden halt, and it seemed as if she had gotten where she wanted.

"Where are we?" Donna asked as soon as the movement stopped.

The Doctor looked at the coordinates. "Let me see... where did you take us, huh?" He spoke mostly to himself.

They rest of the group waited, but didn't get an answer. "Doc? Hello?" Dean walked up beside him.

"These coordinates... they're all jumbled up nonsense. They don't make any sense." The Doctor pushed the screen away, hopping down to the door. "I honestly have no clue where we are."

Donna and Dean shared a glance. That was not good. Sam just started to doubt his whole master plan. The Doctor opened the door, and was met with hurricane-like winds. He was practically blown away, trying to to close the door.

"What the hell? What would the TARDIS bring us here?" Sam asked, confused.

"I don't know. I'll take us back." The Doctor set the coordinates to go back to Earth, and to his great relief, the TARDIS seemed to comply.

"You guys get in a fight, or something?" Dean joked. He couldn't get rid of this feeling that something was really wrong, but he hoped that this was all some sort of glitch in the system.

Donna shook her head. "The Doctor doesn't really understand this machine as much as he thinks. She's got a mind of her own.

"I think I understand my own ship," the Doctor rolled his eyes. "See, we're back. I don't know why-"

Before he could finish his sentence, suddenly they were flying again. They had only been landed for a couple seconds. "You were saying?"

"Something must be wrong. She's avoiding something." It reminded the Doctor of when the TARDIS tried to run from Jack. He was an anomaly- a paradox- and she couldn't handle that, so she ran literally to the end of the universe to try and avoid him. Maybe there was something else she was running from.

A thought came to Sam's mind, and he leaned over to Dean, whispering. "Dean, do you think she knows?"

"Knows what?" Donna overheard his question.

Dean stared at Sam quizzically before understanding. "No, Sam. She couldn't. Don't worry about it, Donna. It's between Sam and me."

"Dean, but she could be-"

"Sam, come on."

"Dean, if you boys know something," Donna could understand Sam hiding secrets, because he didn't know her and the Doctor as well. But Dean did. Why would he try to hide something?

The Doctor looked away from the console. In his head, he tried to calculate how old he was now. Dean had always been careful not to reveal too much about his past if the Doctor hadn't seen it yet. But there were certain facts he *_knew_* had happened to the kid. He feared for which one this may be.

Dean clenched his jaw and looked away. "The TARDIS couldn't _know_, Sam." Dean argued, but his voice sounded like he had already given up."

"You said the TARDIS was a living creature. You said she liked you." Sam pointed out. "Just tell them, Dean."

"Dean?" Donna walked beside him, putting her hand on his shoulder. She knew whatever it was, it couldn't have been good.

Dean sighed, his eyes flickering between the two of them."Look, we... We got the son of a bitch who killed our mom. But... not before he got to Sam." Dean paused, not wanting to meet their eyes as he spilled the truth. "I couldn't... I couldn't let it go. I couldn't let _him_ go. So I made a deal."

The Doctor closed his eyes. A deal. A demon deal. If he was remembering correctly, demon deals usually lasted 10 years, and then _down_ you go.

"What do you mean? A deal?" Donna asked, not understanding. Again, "Doctor, what does that mean?"

"It means he traded his soul. For Sam's." The Doctor spoke as flatly as he could. He didn't want to give away any emotion at the moment. He had to think. "How long do you have?"

"He got a year." Sam explained. "It's less than that, now."

"Dean..."

"But it doesn't matter anymore, Sam. It's over, I've said that already."

"But maybe the TARDIS can tell? Maybe it's trying to save you- it's taking you away from here, you know?" Sam looked to the Doctor for help. He would know, right? And he would want to help?

"It's quite possible..." The Doctor admitted. "That would explain why she won't stay on Earth. But I'm not sure that would work..."

"It doesn't matter, I'm not running away from this." Dean wanted to be mad at Sam for bringing it up, but it was getting harder and harder to stay mad at him. There wasn't enough time for that.

"But Dean, maybe we can do something." Donna looked around, but no one looked hopeful. "Well we can't just... We can't just do nothing!"

"That's exactly what you're gonna do. I made the deal, it was my decision. And I'm going to pay the price for it." Dean walked to the console, laying his palm on it. "You hear that, TARDIS? You don't have to take us away for my sake. I'm not running from anything."

There was no sort of response from the ship, but he didn't expect there to be. And yet, he felt like it heard him. "Go ahead, Doc. Take us to Earth."

This time, when the TARDIS landed, she stayed put. Dean couldn't help but smile just a little bit, although no one else did. "Guys, don't give me those sappy looks. I didn't come here for pity, I came to have some fun! So what do you say? Let's do something amazing!"

"Look, Dean, maybe we can-"

"There's nothing you can do, Doc. Unless you know where the bitch who holds my contract is, then there's nothing."

Donna wanted to yell at the kid for doing what he did. She wanted to be mad, but she knew it wasn't worth it. "I'm so sorry, Dean."

Dean shook his head. "Don't be. My fault. Now, what do you say to one last adventure?"


	49. Epsilon

_**I am absolutely horrible! I'm sorry for the long wait! I've had just the worst writers block, but I think I've got some inspiration back. I'll try to get the next one up in an actually decent **__**time frame**__**, okay? Thanks for not giving up on me!**_

The ride was awkward, to say the least.

Dean wished Sam had never brought up his deal. He knew that *_eventually_* the Doctor would have to find out. But he had hoped it would be after he was gone.

The Doctor and Donna seemed to think so highly of him, more so than he thought he deserved. But now he had gone and messed that all up. They must have thought him an idiot. A self-destructive idiot. The only people who didn't seem to hate him at least some of the time, now had a reason to.

Of course, what he didn't know, was just how wrong he was. The Doctor knew about something *_like_* this. But he had seen Dean when he was older than this... so he couldn't have _actually_ gone to Hell, right?

But still, he was worried. Dean was such a good, kindhearted kid, and he didn't deserve this. He was just trying to look out for his brother. It wasn't the first time he had heard that.

Donna couldn't believe it. Sure, she knew about demons. But demon deals? That was new to her. And Dean? How could he do that? How could he give up his life, even if it _was_ for his brother?

She was determined to get him out of it. Dean refused to just hide out in the TARDIS, but she was sure she could convince him. There had to be something they could do. They couldn't just let him die.

The TARDIS roared to life, and no one spoke until they had reached their destination- wherever that was. "So, Doc" Dean finally broke the silence. "Where are we?"

"Epsilon," The Doctor smiled, trying to normalize the situation again. "It's only a couple galaxies over. I've never been, so it'll be an adventure for all of us."

"Awesome," Dean sounded genuine.

When they stepped out of the TARDIS, it seemed relatively unimpressive. It was like walking out into a desert- yellow sand made up the surface of the planet, and purple skies surrounded two bright yellow suns.

"Where are all the people?" Sam asked.

"Follow me," The Doctor took the lead, and they made their way through the sand.

"I'm practically sinking..." Donna groaned as she, and everyone else, struggled to pick up their feet and trudge through the terrain. "We better find concrete or something, soon, or I'm not going to make it."

"Don't worry... There should be something up ahead..." The Doctor promised, although he was completely making it up. This was an adventure! He had never been here before. All he wanted was to show Dean something amazing, and maybe, just maybe, he'd want to stay. But he made the mental note to not pressure him. He could only interfere so much.

Meanwhile, Dean was determined to have fun. He was really going to miss his trips with the Doctor.

His whole life, his only constant was the Doctor. His mother was gone. His father was rarely home, and when he was, he was all over the place. They moved constantly, went to different school, had to see different people. Even Sam eventually left, and if Dean never went to get him, he'd probably still be gone. But, since he was four years old, the Doctor kept coming back. Sometimes years later, sometimes just moments, and always brought different companions. But he always came back, and he always sought Dean out.

For that, Dean would always be grateful. He _needed _that.

So now, all he wanted was to enjoy this last trip with him, and Donna. And if he was lucky, Sam would have fun, too. Maybe give him something to remember.

"HALT!" Everyone froze at the voice. "DO NOT MOVE. STATE YOUR NAMES."

They glanced around at each other, before the Doctor finally decided to speak up. "My name is the Doctor. May I ask yours?"

The voice did not respond.

"Well, go ahead. Tell them your names."

"Doc, I'm not sure this is a good idea." Dean frowned. He couldn't see whoever was talking, and he couldn't tell how they were broadcasting their voice.

The Doctor shrugged. "Of course it's a bad idea. But we don't know _who_ this is. We don't know what will happen if we don't cooperate."

Dean sighed. "Fine. I'm Dean Winchester."

"Donna Noble."

"Sam Winchester."

At first, nothing happened, and the Doctor thought that the voice had left. But suddenly, they heard a loud, mechanic noise, and the ground beneath them began to shake.

In front of them, the ground was rising. At first Sam thought it was some kind of earth quake, but it soon became obvious that it wasn't the ground coming apart, it was something rising up.

It was a large metal roof on a pole, with a cavern underneath. It raised at least 12-13 feet upward before coming to a halt. The group waited cautiously for something to happen.

Finally, after just a moment of tense silence, a figure stepped out of the cavern. She was tall, taller than even Sam, and well built. She wore all black, including heels that looked like they could take out an eye. Her dark hair tied back in am intricate braid that fell to her lower back. But the feature they all noticed first about this mysterious lady, was her green skin.

"Oh my god. We're on Mars." Dean muttered under his breath.

"No, no, Epsilon." The Doctor reminded him quietly, before grinning at the woman. "Hello, there! I'm the Doctor!"she did not step off of the platform. "Sorry if we interrupted anything. It's our first time here. Ha, we're tourists!"

The woman's lips curled just a bit. "No, Doctor, you haven't interrupted anything." She glanced around at the others with an intense concentration. "All of you, welcome to my home, Epsilon. Please, join me."

She motioned for them to join her on the platform. The others were hesitant, but the Doctor hopped on. Donna shook her head, obviously thinking of a million different ways this could all go wrong, before joining him.

Dean and Sam shared a look. Dean shrugged, grinned, and followed after him.

And Sam, as he had done so many times before, followed behind his big brother.

When they were all on the platform, it closed again, and lowered back into the sand. "So, is this where the people of Epsilon live?" The Doctor asked, curiously.

The woman nodded. "I suppose you could say that. There are very few of us."

"Did something happen?" Donna asked.

"No, not exactly. This planet was never meant to be a home. It was meant to discover."

"Discover what?"

"Everything." She smiled. "I'll show you."

"What's your name?" Dean prompted, feeling uncomfortable in this small space. His hunter instincts were beginning to overtake his wonder and curiosity, and he was getting nervous. They were ignoring the number one rule, never trust anybody. Especially anybody green.

"My real name is not one *_you_* could pronounce. But in school, we looked up our 'Earth names'. Mine would be Allison."

"You've been to Earth?"

"No, but we studied it in school. We study all the planets."

Finally the platform stopped. A door opened, and the lights flicked on. The hallway now illuminated in a soft yellow light, they could see down the seemingly endless corridor, steel doors lining the sides. There were no windows to let natural light leak in. They were completely underground. Completely enclosed. Trapped, even.

But the woman seemed entirely at home. "Welcome to Epsilon, project Theta."


	50. Do it for Science

_**Holy crap! 50 chapters? That is unbelievable! Thank you so much to everyone who has been following, favoring and reviewing! I honestly can't believe this story has lasted as long as it has. I'm so glad you have enjoyed it, and I hope I continue to entertain you!**_

Allison could not tell them what project Theta was. She said it was classified information, that only she and a few select others knew. "It's classified… for now. But don't worry, if you stick around long enough, I might be able to show you inside." She said she could show them around to a few of their other, more 'commercial' projects.

"Epsilon is a scientific research facility. We built on this planet for the explicit purpose of doing experiments and research a safe distance away from living populations. It seemed that a deserted planet would do the trick."

"Do you have any idea who was here before you?" The Doctor asked, glancing at Donna like he already had an idea for their next trip.

"No. When we got here, it was already like this."

"What planet did you come from? Who sent you here?"

"Kepler, actually. I grew up there. It's a... beautiful planet, really. But I knew since I was a child that I would never stay there. I knew I was meant for something greater." Allison's eyes fell to Dean, who just stared back.

Dean was not a fan of this place. It all seemed suspicious to him. What was project Theta, and why couldn't she tell them about it?

Plus, the whole place was too much like some shady government facility if you asked him, which he supposed was true.

On top of that, Allison kept looking at him strangely. There was no friendliness in her eyes, just a blank expression that Dean couldn't read, and Dean could read anybody.

"Kepler?" The Doctor repeated. "Hm, it sounds familiar."

Allison stopped abruptly at one of the doors. "Here, you should see this project. I think you'd like it, Doctor." She placed her finger on a scanner beside the door. After just a second the door beeped, and proceeded to open. "Follow me."

The room was much smaller than Sam had imagined. Still, he was pretty excited to see the place. Ending up at an alien science research center was pretty much the best thing that could have happened on this trip. He couldn't wait to see what technology they had designed.

Inside the room was a little table. On the table were two tiny spray bottles, both painted blue. They were not labeled with anything other than a number, "124," and "125."

"Griffon has been working on this one for quite some time. She's very dedicated." Allison explained, picking up the bottle. "Would you like to see what it does?"

"Please," The Doctor nodded.

Allison pulled a small knife out of her pocket. Without warning, she sliced down her hand, barely wincing at the pain. Then, after a moment of letting it bleed, she sprayed the contents of bottle "125" on the cut. Within just mere moments, the cut had healed, leaving only some drying blood on her hand.

"That's amazing!" The Doctor's eyes widened in amazement. "May I see it?" Allison handed him the bottle.

"What's it made of?" Sam picked up the other bottle from the table.

"You'd have to ask Griffon. She should be back soon."

"How many people are on this planet with you?" Dean asked, not nearly as impressed as the others. "Are you all just researchers?"

Allison smiled, politely. "I can assure you, Dean Winchester, that you are perfectly safe here. There are only three others. Griffon, Michael, Dakota, and I. We are all researchers."

Dean nodded. "Just wondering."

Suddenly, the far wall began to open, exposing a man in the same clothes as Allison, and glasses. "Allison! I see you have... visitors."

"Hello, Michael. Yes, they just arrived. This is the Doctor, Dean Winchester, Donna Noble, and Sam Winchester."

Michael smiled. "Welcome to Epsilon. It seems that Allison has already showed you Griffon's newest creation. Project Delta."

"It's amazing," Sam agreed.

"I'm glad. May I ask where you're from?"

"Um, Earth."

"Ah, how lovely. Are you planning on spending the night here? There are so many amazing things we can show you. We've been working very hard, here. You're welcome to stay, take a look around." He offered.

"I'd love to look around more," The Doctor turned to his group. "Unless any of you have any objections."

Dean was about to object, but when he looked over at Sam and saw how excited he was, he just couldn't bring himself to do that. Sam, the huge nerd he was, loved this place. Dean didn't want to take him away from that. His whole life Sam had been dragged away from places he liked, and taken to places he didn't. So if this is where he wanted to stay, then Dean was going to let him. It was only one night, after all, and Dean didn't have too many of those left. He might as well make the most of them.

"Yeah, let's stay. That's what we came here for, isn't it? For an adventure?" Donna didn't know _what_ to think of the place, but she was interested in seeing more of it.

"What do you say, Winchesters?" The Doctor wanted to make sure it was okay with them, since _they_ were the real reason for this trip. There was always time for adventure.

"As long as we get something to eat, 'cause I'm starving," Dean agreed. Sam nodded.

"Excellent. It's not too often we get visitors here on Epsilon," Michael admitted "But we do have rooms for you. And I can have Dakota get you something to eat."

"Awesome."

"Michael, you take them up to their rooms. I have to help Griffon clean up in here," Allison said her goodbyes, and they all followed Michael out the door.

On the way up to their room, Michael babbled on incessantly about his new at creation, Project Sigma, and the others listened with interest. "It's basically a bracelet. But when you press the little button on the side, it activates this... force-field, basically. It would create a bubble that surrounds you, and it would keep in the air, no matter what it's made of. So if you're in an atmosphere of oxygen, it holds oxygen. If it's mostly nitrogen, it holds nitrogen. Basically, it holds whatever you need to breathe. And them, as long as you keep it on, you can go anywhere, regardless of the atmosphere."

"Basically," Dean remarked.

"Basically," Michael repeated, not understanding the mockery.

The Doctor was intrigued. Michael explained how it worked, and he noticed it was quite similar to the way the TARDIS worked. There was an ever present force-field of sorts around his ship, so that they could open the doors in deep space without exploding. He thought only the time lords had mastered this technology. Apparently he was wrong.

"Well, here we are!" Michael stopped in front of another set of doors, that as far as Dean could tell looked exactly the same as all the others. Yet somehow, Michael was able to see a distinction. "You guys can have these four rooms, here. One, two, three, four." He pointed to each one individually. "I'll send Dakota down soon with some meals. Sorry if they're not much. Most of our budget had gone to the tech, not comfort."

Michael left the four of them alone. "Well, Doc. This is certainly one of the more _pleasant_ trips we've been on, together," Dean smiled. It was weird to think that this might be his last memory of the Doctor.

"Well I think it's just _w__onderful,_" Donna wrapped one arm around Dean, although he was so tall, now, she could barely get to his shoulders. "I can't wait to see everything in the morning."

They all picked rooms, but quickly got bored of that. They all piled into Sam's room until another green skinned woman with dark green hair came to the door with four boxes. "Hello! I'm Dakota! I was told you needed something to eat?"

She gave them each a box, explaining that everything they would need should be in there for them.

They all ate together. Sam and Donna actually liked the strange food, but neither Dean nor the Doctor enjoyed it.

After they finished, they decided to go to their separate rooms to sleep.

Sam lied down in the dark, and wondered if Dean felt as weird as he did, sleeping in the room, alone. He was so used to sharing, that having his own space felt off. Then he realized that soon, he'd have to get used to that feeling, and decided it was best that he just got some rest.

They all slept well, comfortable in their beds. It wasn't until they woke up that Dean realized that something was very, very wrong.


	51. Freaky Friday

_**You guys are great! Thank you so much for reading. Please review, and let me know what you think! The best part of all this is reading y'alls reactions!**_

When Dean woke up, he could tell _immediately _that something was off. It wasn't just the huge stomach ache. He just _f__elt_ weird. His heart was beating too fast. He felt _small_.

He sat up in bed, running his first gets through his hair. It felt too long. It was too dark to see anything, so he had to clumsily stumble across the room to find the light switch with fingers that felt too long.

Finally, he found it, and immediately looked down.

He was wearing the pajamas that the Epsilonians had left for them in the drawers. But he felt his body with his hand, and he knew something had changed.

Quickly he ran over to the bathroom in his room, found the switch again, and stared into the mirror.

"Holy shit." He had to be dreaming.

He was the Doctor.

…

The Doctor woke up to a start when he heard banging on his door. It took him a moment to wake up and realize where he was. He stood, but something was off. First off, he felt like puking. But otherwise, there was just something different. He ignored the feeling, however, and went to answer whoever was _s__till _pounding on the door. When he opened it, he jumped back in surprise.

It was him?

"Doc, we got a problem."

The Doctor held out his hand as he watched himself tale a step forward. "What kind of game is this? Who are you?" His voice sounded weird... It was deeper than normal.

"Look, just calm down... Look in the mirror."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

Without taking his eyes off of his double, he backed into the restroom. When he was safely inside, he chanced a glance at the glass. "Oh, no."

"Yup."

"But, I'm-"

"I know."

"And you're-"

"I know."

"I can't believe this. How did this happen?" He ran his fingers over his face, and his chest. It was real, that was for sure. He was in Dean Winchesters body, and that could only mean... "Dean... That _is_ you, right?"

Dean, in the Doctors body, nodded. "I just woke up like this. Anything like this ever happen to you? Cause I've sure as hell never seen anything like this."

The Doctor shook his head. "No, I don't believe so. Oh, wow, ow..." He reached down for his stomach. "Are you feeling okay?"

Dean shook his head. "No. Trust me, it gets worse. I would have been over earlier, but I was coughing up blood in the sink. Whatever changed our bodies messed up big time."

The Doctor frowned. "What are we going to do?"

Dean opened his mouth to respond, but stopped suddenly. "Wait... We should check on Sammy and Donna, just in case."

"Oh no. Donna in Sam's body? That won't be good."

"Yeah, no kidding."

Dean ran to Sam's room and knocked, and the Doctor did the same with Donna. Sam was the first to answer. "Doctor? What is it?" His eyes were wide and alert, alarmed by the sudden wake up call.

"Sam? Is that... you?" Dean asked, looking him over, ignoring the growing pain in his stomach, which seemed to be spreading to his chest.

Sam narrowed his eyes. Was he talking with an American accent? "Uh, yeah... why? Did something happen? Dean?" He went around Dean and walked over to the Doctor, who was still waiting for Donna to answer. "Dean, what's going on?"

The Doctor turned around, glancing over at Dean. "Sam, uh..."

"I'm Dean, Sam." Dean said, suddenly. Sam turned around. "It's me, not him. Don't ask me how this happened... 'Cause I'm just as confused as you are."

"Dean?" Sam looked back and forth between them. "What the hell?"

Finally, Donna opened her door. "Oi! What are you boys yelling about? I'm trying to get some sleep."

Dean couldn't hold back a smile. "At least we know these two haven't changed."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

The Doctor sighed. "Dean and I woke up this morning... Like this. In the wrong body."

"Excuse me?" Donna asked, bewildered. "Are you trying to tell me that-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa..." They all shut up as another voice interrupted. It was Allison, walking up to them from down the hall. "It looks like I was a little late. I meant to get to you boys _before_ you had a chance to talk to your friends, here..."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Dean adjusted himself in front of Sam. He knew he couldn't trust these people.

"You did this, didn't you?" The Doctor asked, more for clarification than accusation. Whoever did this were the only ones who could undo it. "You... messed with our bodies?"

Allison, who was grinning ear to ear, just shrugged. "When I told you we were scientists, I wasn't lying. We are. This, my friends, is Project Theta."

"You used us as your test subjects?" Dean spat. "I'm pretty sure that's against some kind of moral code."

"What else were we supposed to do? Test it on ourselves? I don't-" Her speech was interrupted by an involuntary groan from Dean. He was getting worse by the minute.

"Dean? Are you okay?" Sam held onto him by the shoulders, and he feared he was the only thing keeping his brother up standing.

Allison frowned. "Hm, has this been happening since the switch?"

"What do you think, bitch?" Dean said from behind gritted teeth. He let out a hacking cough and blood spurted out.

Allison shook her head. "This is exactly what happened to the last batch. I really thought we had it right this time. See, this is why we didn't want you talking to your friends. How are we going to test the next batch on them, now?"

"You won't be testing this on anyone else, you understand?" The Doctor took a step forward. "I don't know how many people you've hurt, but it ends here."

Allison completely ignored him. "It looks like we'll just have to do this by force, then. Griffon, Michael?"

Before anyone had a chance to react, Sam and Donna yelled out, almost simultaneously, and fell to the ground.

"Sammy!"

"Donna!"

Michael and a woman Dean took as Griffon came out from behind them, holding weird looking guns. "Don't worry, they're just taser guns. They won't permanently hurt your friends. Trust me, I designed them myself." Griffon promised, but somehow it didn't make Dean feel any better.

"Come on, guys. Take them to the lab. Dakota's already there. We have to get moving before _this_ one kicks it." Allison directed, motioning to Dean. "He's going quicker than that Sontaran, last time."

Griffon grabbed Dean's arm. He tried to pull away, but was immediately caught in another blood-spurting coughing fit, and couldn't do much else but follow.

The Doctor was knelt down beside Donna. She seemed relatively okay. He figured they wouldn't touch her until they figured out what went wrong with the "batch" they gave to him and Dean. He decided the best course of action was to do as they said, at least until Donna or Sam was in serious danger. "What about our friends?"

Allison glanced down at the unconscious pair. "I'll lock them in their rooms until we're ready for them." She answered, honestly.

The Doctor nodded and stood. Michael grabbed his arm and they followed behind Griffon and Dean.

On the way to the lab, he could _hear _Dean getting worse. He couldn't figure out why it was so much worse on the kid then him, but he knew they didn't have a lot of time before... well, before Dean met his end ahead of schedule. But the Doctor was not going to let that happen. He just needed a plan.


	52. Project Theta

"Why are you doing this?" Michael had tied the Doctor's hands tightly behind his back. "What do you possibly have to gain from switching me and Dean's bodies?"

"Science." Griffon answered, vaguely as she tied up a coughing Dean. They had been taken into the first lab they had come across- the lab set aside for Project Theta. Dean and the Doctor were tied down on two of the tables. "We told you. We need you for our experiments.

"Well, we ain't gonna be your test subjects, bitch," Dean groaned. "So why don't you put us back in our right bodies, and we'll be on our way."

"That's not going to happen. Wait for Allison."

Suddenly, the door reopened and Allison and Dakota walked in. "Where's my brother?" Dean let no time pass before asking for Sam. The Doctor was really worried about him. He just looked worse and worse, and there seemed to be blood coming out of his mouth, now. They were running out of time.

"Don't worry about your friends. He and the girl are just in one of the other rooms. We'll tend to them soon."

"So, you're the leader here, I take it?" The Doctor directed to Allison. "You're in charge of... whatever this is?"

"Yes, I am." Allison nodded, smugly. "And this.. This is Project Theta."

"Yeah, you've said that before." Dean rolled his eyes. "And somehow we're still not impressed."

Allison glared at him. "Look, smartass, we were left here by the people of Kepler. They just dumped us here, with little food or resources, and told us to _build_. So we did."

Dean went off into a coughing fit. "Fascinating. Can we move this story along before I freaking _die_?"

"Kepler was sending us monthly packages of food and supplies. But then the packages stopped coming. We knew something was wrong. As it turned out, something had happened back at home."

The Doctor had a sudden moment of clarity. "I knew Kepler sounded familiar. It was destroyed, wasn't it? I heard about it... They had no idea what happened."

"I'll tell you what happened. It wasn't some nuclear bomb from a rivalry planet. It was their own stupidity."

Michael stepped in. "Basically, Kepler was keeping tabs on us out here on Epsilon. We sent them information, and they sent us orders on what experiments to try. But basically what happens was, was that they had us build something... dangerous."

Allison continued, "It was biological warfare. It killed all things living. We're scientists, we're peaceful. But we had orders, and we did as we were told. And those... those _idiots _didn't understand what kind of power we had given them. They screwed up, and they released the bug on their own planet. They completely wiped themselves out."

"I'm real s-s-sorry ab-bout your people... but that doesn't explain t-t-this..." Dean stuttered. His eyes were closed, and the Doctor wasn't sure he was completely paying attention anymore.

"Don't you get it? All our people are dead!" Dakota spoke for the first time. "We're all alone! We haven't had any shipments for months! We have to start fending for ourselves!"

"Why don't you just go to another planet?" The Doctor asked.

"Kepler's aren't very... liked, in this solar system. They're all racist." Allison folded her arms. "But Project Theta is going to change that. Once we figure out the flaw in the formula, we can use Theta to take over someone else's body."

"That's you're big plan? To sneak onto another planet by taking over some poor locals body?" The Doctor sighed. He knew he had to offer, even though he knew they wouldn't say yes. "Look, I can help you. I can get you to a planet far away from here. Somewhere you and your people will be safe. You just have to switch us back, and let us go."

Allison let out a laugh. "Nice try, Doctor. That's what the last ones said, too. But we don't need your help. In fact, we don't need you at all, anymore. Now it's all about your friend, here. For some reason he's reacting much stronger than you are." She moved over to Dean, who was no longer talking. "Our job is to figure out what went wrong, and fix it so we don't end up killing ourselves."

The Doctor knew why Dean was so much worse off than him. It wasn't because they were getting better with these experiments, and now only _one_ of them were getting sick. It was because he was a Time Lord, and it was effecting him slower. But telling _them_ that would only make things worse.

With everyone crowding around Dean, the Doctor took the opportunity to look around. He needed to find a way to get them both out. He couldn't locate any sort of weapon go help him cut the ties. He pulled at the binds, but it didn't seem like he'd be getting out like that.

His only choice, it seemed, was to bargain his way out. "Hey, Dakota," He call, quietly. Dakota turned around, brow raised. He motioned for her to come over.

Dakota frowned, leaving her friends to look over Dean. "I'm not letting you out, Doctor."

"Dakota, you have to listen to me. You don't want to do this... You know I can help you. You'll all end up better than you will by doing this."

Dakota's eyes squinted. "Maybe, maybe not. But at least this way, we can be sure. We can't trust you."

Dean let out a moan, wincing at something they were doing. "Look, you've got to help my friend. He's going to die if you let him. His blood will be on _your_ hands." Dakota glanced back at Dean. "You guys are scientists, not murderers. I know you're just desperate... but you don't have to be."

Dakota bit her bottom lip, and seemed to consider his offer. "Allison will never go for it," she whispered. "_Maybe_ I can convince Griffon and Michael. Maybe. But Allison is dead set on Project Theta. It was her idea."

"Please. You have to try..." The Doctor pleaded, knowing it was his last hope. To his surprise, Dakota agreed to help.

"Okay. I think I have an idea for Dean. But I have to go get it. If I untie you, can you distract them from him? I don't want them making him any worse."

The Doctor nodded. Dakota reached him to her back pocket, bringing out a pocket knife. He felt her reach down and untie his binds. She held up her hand, telling him to wait. She walked over to Michael, whispering something in his ear. He nodded. "Michael and I will be right back. I need help getting something."

After they left, the Doctor gave them a few moments before hopping up. He grabbed the nearest thing he could find- some kind of medical scanner- and held it up. "Back away from him."

Allison and Griffon did as he said, but neither seemed incredibly intimidated. "Come on, Doctor, what are you going to do with that? Scan us to death?"

He ignored them. "Please just let me help you. It'll be better this way. You don't need to kill us."

"Sorry, Doctor. But even if I wanted to help you, your friend is as good as dead. There's nothing I _can_ do." Allison shrugged.

"Don't worry about him," The Doctor said, hoping that Dakota knew what she was doing. "Worry about yourselves. You don't have to hurt anymore people."

Griffon frowned. "I don't know, Allison. Maybe he can help us. Maybe he's not lying."

"They always lie." Allison held her ground.

"Allison, stop." The Doctor let out a sigh of relief at Dakota's voice. Her and Michael were back. Michael held a little blue bottle labeled "126." She motioned to Dean. "Let me help him."

"We almost know what's wrong with him." Allison argued. "If you fix him, we'll never be able to fix this."

"We know what's wrong with him," Dakota shot back. "It's us. We did this to him. And we can fix him. Come on, Griffon. I know you agree."

Griffon looked down at Dean, and then at Allison. "Allison... maybe we should..."

"No!" Allison slammed her hand down on the table. "We've put so much work into this. We are _not _letting one man take that away from us."

"I'm sorry, Allison," Michael suddenly lunged forward, pushing past Allison to Dean. He opened the bottle and poured it down Dean's throat.

"No! Stop it!" Allison tried to pull him away, but Griffon grabbed her by the arm.

Dean started sputtering and coughing again, but Michael made sure to force the liquid down. Within moments Dean settled down, and laid still.

"Dean?" The Doctor, with the threat of Allison at bay, ran toward his friend. "Dean? Can you hear me?"

Everyone seemed to stop and wait, even Allison, to see if Dean would wake up. For a long while, or at least what seemed like a long while to the Doctor, nothing happened. He tried to take the boy's pulse, but it was weak. He grabbed his hand, not sure what to do. After all, he wasn't a real doctor.

"Dean," he whispered. "You have to wake up. Think about Sam. You still have time left, before... Now is not your time." He remembered briefly back to the first time he had met Castiel. The angel warned him of his effect on Dean. He warned how he could change his future. And while it would seem the angel has since changed his mind, in this very moment, he began to worry about that again.

What if Dean dies now? What if he goes to Hell early, and it screws everything up? Could his very presence in Dean's life cause the poor kid to spend an eternity down under?

Suddenly, Dean's eyes flew wide open and he gasped for breath. The liquid had kicked in, and Dean's heart was now racing. He tried to sit up, unaware of the binds still holding him down. Dakota quickly came over and untied him.

"Dean!" The Doctor took a step back to give him some space, but for once, Dean didn't seem to want it. He grabbed out for him, almost in a frenzy, as he tried to figure out what was going on.

"Doctor? What the hell?"

"Hey, hey, calm down," The Doctor tried to calm him, holding onto his shoulder. "You were... you almost didn't make it, there, Dean."

Dean didn't respond, but his eyes quickly came to rest on Allison, who was still being held back by Griffon. He wanted to say something to the bitch, and maybe he wanted to kill _her _just a little bit, but he had other things on his mind at the moment. "Where's my brother?"

Allison stared back at him, but didn't respond. Finally, Michael offered to go find Sam and Donna.

"What now, Doctor?" Dakota asked quietly after a while of Michael's absence. "Are you... are you still going to help us?"

The Doctor frowned, glancing down at Dean. Now that he was safe and alive, they had some decisions to make.


	53. Dead Man Walking

"Help them? You've got to be kidding. They switched our bodies! They tried to kill us! And they almost _did_ kill me!"

Dean and the Doctor were in another room as Dakota and Griffon secured Allison. The Doctor was, with little luck, trying to convince Dean that he _had_ to help these people, regardless of what they had done.

"Dean, I understand your frustration, I really do, but what other option do we have? We can't leave them here, or else they'll just continue to do what they've been doing, and hurt more people. And we certainly can't kill them, so don't even start." He hoped he could just reason with Dean, and convince him to go along with the plan, because he was helping the Kepler's with or without Dean's blessing.

Dean let out a harsh sigh. He couldn't help but think of his dad in this moment. His father never would have let these freaks go after what they did. He never would have offered to _help_ them after what they had done to Dean. John would have expected Dean to do as he would've done.

But John wasn't here to preach revenge and payback. The Doctor was here. The Doctor, who saved Dean's life just a few moments ago. Who saved his life _several _times throughout the years. His one constant. He was here to preach forgiveness or some shit. And maybe, he thought, maybe he owed it to him to give it a shot.

To the Doctors surprise, Dean conceded. "Look, I get helping the other three. I guess they sort of... kept me from dying. And _even though_ they're the ones who tried to kill me in the first place... I get it. But Allison? Allison is being tied up right now! Do you really think won't try this shit again?"

The Doctor frowned. "I know. I don't know what to do with Allison. She... She's tricky." Leaving her alone would just be plain stupid. Not to mention dangerous. But they couldn't watch her for the rest of her life.

Suddenly they were interrupted by Michael, opening the door. "I found them."

For a moment, all their concerns about Allison dissipated, and they ran off to find Sam and Donna.

They were locked into one of the many rooms, tied down to two beds. Michael had already managed to untie them, and they were both starting to wake up. "Ugh, I have just the worst headache... And my back!" Donna sat up, drowsily, unsure of exactly what had happened. "Doctor?"

The Doctor ran to her side, helping her stand. "Oi, that's right, I forgot you two got your bodies switched."

"Yeah, we're working on that." The Doctor smiled, glad to see them both okay.

"Sam," Dean ran to his brother, immediately grabbing onto him, as if to make sure it was really him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine, Dean..." He found it more than a little weird to look at the Doctor while he said that. "Are you okay? You looked pretty bad, last I remember."

"I'm fine. They fixed me all up. Can you stand?"

Sam tried not to feel annoyed as Dean helped him stand up. "I'm good, Dean, really."

"I just wanna make sure."

"So, Michael," The Doctor, satisfied their friends were safe, knew there was one more thing he needed from them. "I really hope you know how to put us back in our bodies."

Michael nodded. "Don't worry, we have an antidote. My only worry is that it turns out just as painful as the original." He looked over to Dean as he said the last sentence.

Dean shrugged. "You got another dose of that magic juice you poured down my throat? Just have one of those on standby, just in case."

"That's the thing, though..." Michael frowned. "We haven't ever actually tested the anecdotes. We don't even know if they work. All of our test subjects... Basically, they didn't make it to that stage."

Dean glanced over at the Doctor. "I guess we'll be the lucky first trial, then, huh?"

…

"Dean, I don't think this is a good idea," The Doctor warned as they all waited in one of the testing rooms for Dakota and Griffon to get back with the anecdote. "It's dangerous. It could be even worse than before, and we don't know whether or not Project Delta will help, here."

"What would suggest us do, then, Doc? Just wait around, in each others bodies, until some miracle comes along?"

"No, but-"

"Doc, how long can you even live in my body?" The Doctor went silent. "You're a _Time Lord,_ man. You weren't meant to live in a normal human body. We are fundamentally different. I know you need this body, or who knows how long before you burn mine out."

"Doctor..." Donna gently held onto his arm.

"That's not fair, Dean. I can handle this better than you can. Why do you think you got so sick, while I was okay? If we switch back with this anecdote... It could be really bad. You could die."

"Doc, I'm a dead man walking." Dean shrugged, as if it was no big deal. The Doctor could see Sam visibly tense up as he did. "I'm toast, anyway, and I'm not particularly picky on the venue."

"I don't know what the 'rules' are, Dean." The Doctor confessed. "I don't know what happens to a human who dies on another planet. You may be going to Hell, anyway. Or you may be lost in oblivion for the rest of eternity."

"I'm not trying to get out of my deal, Doctor. I know what happens if I do. I'm trying to help _you_, so why don't you let me?" They both went silent when they heard the door swing open. Dakota and Griffon walked in.

"You two ready?" Dakota handed them both a glass full of black liquid. "Here, I tried to dilute the taste, but it's not going to be pleasant."

The Doctor stared into the black liquid, knowing he had to take it. Dean was right, after all, they couldn't afford to stay in these bodies for an extended period of time. He just felt the risk was too great.

"Dean, the Doctor might be right..." Sam offered. "Maybe we still have a little time to fix this another way."

Dean didn't respond, he just held up his glass and declared "Bottom's up!" Before chugging it. It tasted sour, and disgusting but he drank the whole thing. "Oh my god... This is worse than mac and cheese with marshmallow fluff."

"It will only work if you drink, as well, Doctor," Griffon explained.

The Doctor nodded, and hesitantly drank his glass. "Oh, no, that is not pleasant at all,"

"How long before...?"

"You both have to sleep. But don't worry, when you wake up, we'll have Project Delta waiting for you."

Dean snorted. "Well that just sounds creepy."


	54. All's Well That Ends Well

_**Sorry if this took longer than usual. I'm starting my last quarter of high school, and I have to worry about that, as well as getting ready for college. There's a lot to do, as you'd imagine. Thank you for your patience, and enjoy the next chapter! Please review! I love your feedback!**_

They all went back to their rooms, so that Dean and the Doctor could be more comfortable. It was important that they fell asleep within an hour of taking the dosage.

"It's important that you you drink this as soon as you switch back," Dakota explained. "So I'll wait with Dean, and Michael will wait with the Doctor."

"What? I can't fall asleep with you staring over my shoulder," Dean complained.

"We don't know what you'll be like when you wake up. You may not be able to come and get me,"

"I'll do it." Sam offered. "Give me the bottle, and I'll give it to him when he wakes up."

Dean huffed. "You're not much better..."

"Don't be such a baby."

Dean laid beneath the covers, trying to pretend that he was alone. He could hear Sam's feet dragging across the carpeted floor as he sat in a chair across the room. He could hear his brother's breathing.

He curled his fingers tighter around the blanket and tried to focus on something else. He was going to run out of time to sleep, and he'd have to down another dose of that awful liquid.

Sam watched his brother with impatience. He twisted the bottle around and around in his hand, moving his feet on the ground as a nervous habit. One part of him couldn't wait for Dean to wake up so they could see if he was okay. Yet simultaneously, another part of him could wait forever. Like Schroeder's cat, he wasn't dying until he woke up. But he wasn't alive, either.

And then there was another, much smaller part, that wondered if this was all worth it. Dean had so little time left, and he had made it more than clear that he accepted that. Maybe it was time that Sam did too. His brother was _dying_, and he was going to be alone.

He thought briefly about their dad, and wondered what he would do. He'd keep fighting, until the very end.

In fact, John had already saved Dean, once. He wouldn't let Dean die, now.

Eventually, Dean felt himself drifting off to sleep, and he welcomed it. He hoped the Doctor had already fallen asleep, and that they could finally get this show on the road.

Sam jumped as Dean awoke, gasping for air. Sam ran over to him, prepared with Project Delta. Dean, however, shook his head and sat up.

"Dean?"

He shook his head. "No, it worked."

"Doctor! You're in your right body, good!" Sam smiled relieved. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yes, it was Dean I was worried about. We should go check on him."

"Of course,"

The Doctor followed Sam to the room he had fallen asleep in, where Donna, Michael, and Dakota were waiting outside. They all looked up as the two men approached, and the Doctor did not like the look on their faces.

"Is Dean still in there?" Sam inquired, worriedly. "Is he okay?"

"We're... not sure, Sam," Donna answered, glancing between him and the Doctor.

"I was in there with him when he woke up," Michael explained. "He basically just jumped up, and was breathing heavily. At first I thought he was okay, but... then the seizure started."

"_Seizure?_"

"Griffon's the one with medical experience, so she's in there now."

"I have to go see him," Sam tried to get to the door, but Michael stepped in front of him. "What the hell?"

"It's for the best that you don't..." Michael looked apologetic, but he wasn't going to move.

Sam clenched his jaw, and felt equal parts anger and panic growing within him. "You guys did this to him in the first place. You don't get to tell me what to do."

He felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Donna. "Sam, please calm down. They're helping him, but your presence in there will only make things harder." She didn't say it, but she knew that Dean wouldn't want him in there, either.

"You don't get to tell me what to do, either! You two brought us here! Don't you ever go anyplace _safe_? Or do you just _seek out_ trouble?" Sam knew that this time, it was on him, too. He had _wanted_ to come with the Doctor and Donna. He thought it would help. _Of course_ it was stupid, and _of course_ Dean got hurt. But he wasn't ready to let his brother go, yet. They still had time...

Suddenly, the door opened, and Griffon appeared. "I gave him Project Theta. He didn't react well at first, but he's okay, now."

Everyone smiled in relief, except Sam, who asked, "Let me see him."

Griffon shook her head. "Give him a minute. He's coming out."

As Griffon promised, Dean came out a but later, grinning. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his face was place, but otherwise he seemed okay. "That was the worst nap I've ever had."

"Dean," Sam wrapped his arms around his brother, and finally allowed himself to smile. "You okay?"

Dean rolled his eyes, secretly appreciating the gesture before shrugging him off. "Yeah, totally. I told you it would work. The green chick really knows what she's doing."

"I'm just glad we could... mend our mistake." Griffon offered, quietly. Dakota and Michael nodded. It reminded Doctor of the other problem at hand.

"Where's Allison?"

"I can take you to her. She's secure, I promise."

"Good, we need to talk to her."

Dean raised his brow at the Doctor, who shook his head, slightly. No, he wasn't sure what he was going to do with her yet. That's what this talk was for.

…

"Are you finally here to kill me?" Allison asked, smugly, as the group entered her room. Dakota and Michael hung back, not wanting to see what happened if things went badly. But the Doctor had high hopes. He realized it was naïve of him, but he really thought they could get her to cooperate.

Dean did not. He was 100% ready to slit her throat at a moments notice. He was giving her a chance, but he didn't have any faith in her. She was bad news, all around.

"We're here to talk." The Doctor promised. He held his hands up, showing himself unarmed.

Allison's eyes flickered from him to Dean, who had one hand clasped around a blade. "Are you sure you're friend here is just here for talk?"

"Yes," The Doctor replied firmly, glaring at Dean. "Dean and I are both here, peacefully, and so is everyone else. We just want to help."

"Dean, huh?" Allison smiled. "Looks like you guys switched back. Good for you. I guess the antidote worked, then."

"Just listen to them, Allison. They can help." Griffon spoke, pushing her way to the front of the group. "Please, you can come with us "

Allison's smile was gone, and was replaced with a grimace. "You're pathetic, you know that? You're just like the others, the ones back home. They were dumb and trusting, and now they're dead. And good riddance! They deserved it! But we could've done better for ourselves! It would've been a scientific feat to change ourselves like that! But now you've gone and ruined it!"

"Honey, there are creatures dumber than you that can shapeshifter, trust me." Dean scoffed. Allison glared at him.

"It's over, Allison. You have to move on," The Doctor sighed, fearing they weren't getting anywhere. "Are you willing to at least listen?"

Allison frowned. "You can talk as long as you'd like, but this will never work. I don't trust you, and you obviously don't trust me, given that you've tied me up like a hostage. Shouldn't you be calling my family for ransom, right now?"

The Doctor sighed. "Look, act of trust, okay? Let us untie you, and we can discuss this, civilly."

Allison rolled her eyes. "Fine."

"Doc, what are you doing?" Dean muttered.

"Building trust," The Doctor replied. "Go ahead, cut her out."

Dean hesitated, but ultimately decided to do as he said. "Alright, hold still." He turned her around and quickly cut through her binds with the blade. Her hands shot apart, and she rubbed at the marks on her wrists. "There, you happy now, Princ-"

As Dean was making his remark, Allison kicked his shin, causing him to falter. She kicked again in his crotch, and when he bent over she snatched the knife.

She swiped the knife in his direction, but jumped back in time to successfully dodge the attack. Before anyone could do anything, she turned the knife around, and shoved it into her chest.

Griffon gasped, but stood still. Donna took a step forward, but stopped when she realized it was too late. The Doctor just stared in shock as her fingers uncurled from the knife, and she slowly fell to the ground. She wasn't smiling or grimacing anymore; her face was devoid of all emotion as she lay there, motionless.

…

The Doctor brought Griffon, Michael, and Dakota to a nearby solar system, Irrumabo. He promised them that the people here were much more accepting than the others in their own.

"Thank you, Doctor. Thank you, all of you." Dakota smiled, though she seemed to be on the verge of tears. The Doctor knew it was probably from a mixture of gratitude and guilt. "We won't cause any problems, we promise." Griffon and Michael agreed.

Once they were back in the TARDIS, everyone went quiet again.

"I'm sorry, Dean," The Doctor apologized. "This was much more dangerous than I wanted it to be. I had no idea-"

Dean cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Please, Doc, you gotta stop apologizing when things go wrong. It ain't anybody's fault. It's just the way it is."

"What are you going to do now?" Donna asked.

Dean glanced at Sam, and shrugged. "I guess we got work to do, don't we, Sammy?" Sam didn't respond. He turned back to the two of them. "Thanks, guys, for trying. I... I really appreciate it."

"Anytime, Dean."

The Doctor flew them back home, which to them meant the Impala. Not that he could blame them, his home was mobile as well. Life was a lot more exciting that way.

"You better call the moment you get out of your deal," Donna made Dean promise. "Because I know you will."

"You'll be the first one to know," Dean smiled, giving her a departing hug.

"I'll be seeing you soon, Dean." The Doctor nodded in his direction. Dean nodded back, but before he turned to leave, he went back for a hug as well. It was longer than usual, something that normally would make the younger man uncomfortable. The Doctor knew Dean had no hope in seeing him or Donna again. This was, in his mind, his final goodbye.

A few months later for them, just a few days later for the Doctor, Sam called and gave him the news about Dean. He didn't want them to come, he didn't want their comfort. But at least he bothered to let them know. Dean, Sam knew, had very few friends. He figured the least he could do was call them.


	55. Born Again

It had been a month since Ireland.

It had been weird, seeing Dean so much younger, but it was nice. He wasn't quite as burdened as the Dean Martha had first met. He was sweet and naïve, but just as ready to help.

But she had no idea that the Dean she was about to see was the polar opposite.

They hadn't even meant to find him. The last time they sought him out in Ireland was a bit of an emergency. And even then, the Doctor tried to go back far enough that the kid was still kinda young, and wouldn't say no to joining them. He didn't know as much as the older Dean had.

This time, they were actually trying to go to Hawaii, somewhere Martha had never been. But the TARDIS started acting weird.

"Doctor? What's going on?" Martha stood behind him in a pink dress over a bikini, hands on her hips. She was ready for a vacation, not whatever problem was about to arise.

The Doctor was still in his suit. He hadn't had time to dress yet, because he had been working on the TARDIS. "I'm not entirely sure, and I hate not being sure." He frowned, squinting his eyes at the console. "She's just not cooperating with me."

"Should I go get dressed? I feel like the beach isn't happening today."

"No, nonsense, I'll figure this out. Just give me a minute."

"Can I help?" She layed the palm of her hand on the machine, and suddenly it felt as if the whole thing jumped at her touch, and the TARDIS started to move. "Uh, I didn't press anything, I promise." She pulled her hand away.

"Did you... fix it?" The Doctor looked at her questioningly before returning to the console. "No, I don't think you did. We're not going to Hawaii. We're going to America...? 2008?"

"Why in the world would we be going there?"

The TARDIS came to a halt, but neither of them moved. After a few moments the Doctor said, "The TARDIS always has her reasons."

Martha glanced down at the screen. "I know, but what could possibly be her reason for taking us to the middle of Midwest America?" As soon as she spoke the words aloud, both she and the Doctor figured it out. There's only one reason they'd ever go to Midwest America.

As if on cue, a knock came from the front door. The Doctor was the first to the door. He unlatched it without hesitation, and opened it wide. "Dean?"

Dean, covered in dirt and sweat and breathing heavily, grinned a very Dean-like grin and held out a cut-up hand. He cleared his throat before speaking, but even so his voice was scratchy. "I've never felt so happy to see you, Doc."

The Doctor took his hand and pulled him in, checking outside briefly before shutting the door. "Are you okay?"

Dean shrugged looking down at himself. "I've been better."

"Dean," Martha came forward, looking him over.

"Martha!" Dean accepted her hug. "You look good. Especially in that dress."

She ignored his flirtation. "I wish I could say the same to you. What happened?"

Dean shook his head. "You wouldn't even believe me if I told you."

"Try us," The Doctor was mentally trying to figure out how old he was, trying to piece together his complicated time line in his head.

Dean met the Doctors eyes, and he knew the kid was different. Maybe it was the fact that the last time he had seen the hunter he was only 19, but he didn't just looked older, hardened. His eyes weren't as soft and his voice wasn't as lighthearted. Something bad had happened.

Dean held his gaze. "Hell. Hell happened."

"Hell?" He repeated. He didn't know about _Hell_. Purgatory, yeah, but not Hell.

"Hell? As in Hell hell?" Martha stared at him, wide-eyed, mouth gaped. "Am I missing something?"

"Nope, I think you're all caught up."

"Why were you in Hell?" The Doctor asked. He figured there was a Hell, he had heard of demons. He had even met some. But up to this point in his own time line, Dean has never told him _he_ had gone to Hell. And now that he's out, did that make him a demon? Or something else?

"I don't think I can tell you, Doc. Spoilers, you know?"

He nodded. "Of course."

Martha was desperately confused by the whole situation. Here she was, in a bikini and a dress that barely covered her ass, heading to the beach, and now Dean was back from _Hell_. And he was different, she knew it. He was different from either of the other times they had met. He had accepted her hug, but after that he hasn't so much as look back over to her, even when he answered her.

"Where's Sam?"

Dean shrugged. "I'm not sure. I haven't seen him, since..." For the first time since he'd shown up out of the blue, he stopped smiling. "But, uh, yeah... How did you guys find me? _Why_ did you guys find me?"

"_We_ didn't. She did," The Doctor pointed upward, referring to the TARDIS. "We were on our way to Hawaii, and she had other plans. Now we know why."

"Guess she's always lookin' out for me, huh?" Dean said it with some kind of warmth, but he didn't visibly show it. Finally, he turned to Martha. "And that must explain your outfit."

Martha's mouth opened, but no sound came out.

"Do you need something to eat? Or drink?" The Doctor asked, not sure of what else to do. The whole situation was odd and awkward.

"I would love that," Dean's eyes lingered on Martha, but eventually flicked over to the Doctor. "It's been a long... long day."

"I know. I'll be right back."

That left Martha and Dean alone.

"So... How long's it been?" Dean asked, not needing to explain any further.

Martha cleared her throat. "Um, about a month since Ireland."

That made Dean smile, genuinely. "So you finally got there, cool. That goddess was a bit of a bitch, huh?"

"Yeah. But you were great. You were so young."

Dean nodded, looking down. "I was still going home to my brother and my dad. It's been a long time since that." Martha took a few steps closer to him, so that she could almost touch him, but he shifted away. "Martha... When I saw the TARDIS appear in front of me, and when I knocked on the door... I didn't know you'd be here."

"Oh," Martha felt her face go hot. "Wow, okay. Just putting it out there, huh?"

"No, no, not like that. I'm just... Not myself," He looked _embarrassed_ and it was enough to make her believe him. "Things have... A lot has happened since the last time I saw you, Martha. I promised you I'd be back, but... I didn't think it would be like this."

Martha frowned. "What happened to you, Dean?" He just shook his head.

"Here we go," The Doctor suddenly returned. "Come on you two. Let's eat."


	56. Talk to Me

_**Thank you for reading, and for your support! Please review and let me know what you think! You're input is greatly appreciated!**_

The Doctor couldn't actually put together a meal—he wasn't exactly preparing for this—but he did manage to find a good restaurant nearby. He offered Dean some clothes to wear, given that his were kind of a mess.

"Wow, these fit me perfectly," Dean was impressed by the fit of the maroon shirt the Doctor had gotten for him. He hated the color—it just wasn't his style—but it was better than the clothes he was buried in.

"Good. I try to have clothes of all sizes, because you never know who you're going to run into." The Doctor thought it best not to mention that the reason the clothes fit so well was because they were Dean's. Future Dean's. He had left them behind by accident on one if his trips him.

Martha changed as well, back into jeans and a shirt.

The Doctor plugged in some coordinates into the TARDIS, thankful that she seemed to be working, now. He made sure not to go to far from where they had picked Dean up, assuming that he'd want to end up back there.

He parked them behind a small family BBQ place, aptly named Grandpa's BBQ. "I've heard only great things about this place, I promise!" The Doctor announced as they stepped out. The building was small and old, and an unpleasant smell met their noses as soon as their feet hit the rocky pavement.

"Have you ever been here?" Martha asked, crossing her arms.

"Well... No. But it's going to be great." The Doctor grinned.

They entered the restaurant, and were almost immediately assaulted by a short old woman with a high-pitched grandmotherly voice. "Hello, welcome to Grandpa's BBQ! It's a beautiful day outside, isn't it? Is a booth okay?"

"A booth would be lovely, thank you."

They say down in the booth closest to the door, as there was only one other table filled in the whole place (which consisted of about 5 tables total.) The woman, whose name tag read "Grandma Betty," took out her pad of paper and looked to Martha first. "What can I get you to drink, sweetheart?"

"Um, water, please."

"You got any beer?" Dean asked, grabbing the menu.

"You bet. We make it ourselves here. It's a family recipe." Dean made a face, but asked for it anyway.

"Just water for me, please," Betty smiled and wrote it down. She told them she'd go get their drinks while they looked over their menu.

The small talk was almost unbearable to all three of them, each one trying desperately to keep the conversation going, even though there was only one thing on everyone's mind.

They all ordered, and soon Betty came back with their food.

"So, Dean," The Doctor took a bite out of his steak. "Where are you off to? Where am I going to be dropping you off?"

"Uh, well... I called Bobby as soon as I found a payphone, but... He didn't answer." Dean left out the part where Bobby straight up didn't believe him. It's not like he could blame the guy—he'd be skeptical, too.

"Bobby?"

"Yeah, an old friend of mine. I guess you haven't met him." Dean figured that Bobby would like the Doctor, and vice versa. He would've liked to have the two meet, but... "I'll have to introduce you... at a better time."

The Doctor nodded, understanding. "Just tell me where he is, and I'll drop you off."

"Thanks."

Lunch became quiet after that, other than frequent interruptions from Betty. The Doctor excused himself to use the restroom, and that's when Martha finally spoke.

"Dean, you can talk to me, you know."

Dean glanced up at her briefly, and then looked back down to his burger. "I know. There's nothing to talk about."

"Oh, come on," Martha couldn't help but roll her eyes at his fake indifference. "Don't lie to me, Dean."

"What do you want me to say?" Dean sighed. "There's nothing _to_ say. It is what it is, Martha. It's over."

"You're hurting," Martha wanted to be louder, but she didn't want anyone else in the quiet restaurant to hear their conversation. "I can tell. I can't even begin to imagine what you've been through, but I-"

"Forty years."

Martha paused at his interruption. "What?"

"Forty years. That's how long I was down there." Dean's hands were flat on the table now, and he was looking right at her. "Time is different down here. It's only be four months. But it wasn't like that for me."

Martha nodded, not knowing what else to do.

"It was horrible. But I won't go into detail." Martha could see tears forming in his eyes, which surprised her. He paused for a second to collect himself, but when he continued, he was even worse. His voice was shaky and he wouldn't look at her anymore. "I don't even know how I got out. I don't remember. I just woke up, six feet under! I didn't even deserve it-"

He was cut off by a high-pitched noise like a dog whistle. It progressively got louder and louder, until it was overwhelming and painful. They both covered their ears, and Martha tried to shout to him, but he couldn't hear her. The group at the other table fell to the ground, holding their ears just the same. Betty must have been in the kitchen, and the Doctor had not returned from the bathroom.

The glass of the windows started to shatter, and Dean found himself in a very familiar situation.


	57. The Man Behind the Curtain

The Doctor had left the table in hopes that Martha would be able to get something out of Dean if they were left alone. He headed to the restroom, as he said he would. He stood in front of the mirror and studied his face. He didn't look as old as he felt. He didn't look as old as he was. But he could feel his age in his core.

Over 900 years of traveling time and space alike was thrilling and amazing. But it was also exhausting. He was never not in danger. He was always running.

And when he looked at Dean, sitting across from his at the table, he could note the same look in his eyes. He was only 29, but his face showed the same worn down semblance. The same pain.

He had been running, too, since he was just four years old. Running from evil, running to evil. The difference between them, though, is that the Doctor's life came with the thrill of the travel. He had the freedom to go wherever he wanted, see new lands and new people all the time. But Dean, his life came with the thrill of the hunt. Something the Doctor would never understand.

And while Dean seemed to enjoy his job, and taking down monsters, it wore him down more than he admitted. It chipped away at him little by little, and eventually there would be nothing left.

He wasn't sure why Dean went to Hell. He figured he'd find out eventually. But he could only imagine what senseless trouble the kid had gotten himself into.

But just by looking in his eyes, he knew Hell had taken quite a chunk of the young hunter. This was his turning point. His transition from the young, carefree boy who had lost so much, to the older, skilled hunter who refused to lose anymore. This Dean had a killer instinct and an alcohol problem, but there was a lot more to it than that. Now he was starting to see why.

And Martha, poor Martha who was so intelligent and determined, who could do so much in the world—on Earth or elsewhere—who foolishly fell in love with the young hunter. Or maybe it wasn't love, but it was some sort of childish infatuation that was only going to end badly. Because she was meeting him out of order, months and years apart for him. He was changing so much faster, and the Doctor worried that he would change to much for her.

Since their run in with the angel Castiel, and since Dean left on his own accord, Martha had seemed distant. It was better than before Dean came, when he was worried she would leave, but he didn't like it. He felt like she was only staying because she though she may see Dean again. She was always less predictable than his other companions.

After awhile without seeing him, she seemed to forget. She seemed to enjoy herself more, like when he first invited her onto the TARDIS. And then they went to Ireland, and they got in trouble, and she got to meet a younger Dean who didn't even know who she was, and she was roped back in. There was something incredibly charming and sincere about him back then.

Apparently even the TARDIS was missing him, or maybe she could sense Martha's longing when she touched the console. She always had a knack for bringing him, and at times his companions, exactly where they needed to be. And that was Dean.

Although, apparently, it was _De__an_ who needed _them_ this time.

The bathroom was empty. He looked down at his watch, checking how long he had been gone. Only a minute or two. He wanted to give them enough time to talk without his interruption.

He was just considering going back to the table, when suddenly, the floor began to shake. A store-bought soap dispenser fell off the sink counter. At first there was just a loud shrieking noise, causing the Doctor to cover his ears, but after only a moment, the shriek morphed into a voice. "Doctor."

"Hello?" He removed his hands from his ears. The room was still shaking, but he wasn't bothered by it. He _was_, however, bothered by the disembodied voice coming from the ceiling. "Where are you?"

"I'm here, you just can't see me. I'm not in human form right now. But I can see you."

_That's a bit creepy._ "Who are you?"

"I'm Castiel."

_The Angel. _The Doctor couldn't help the feeling of dread that washed over him at the angel's name. "Why are you here? Why are you talking to me like this?"

"It's the only way. My human vessel is... preoccupied at the moment. I needed to talk to you. As it turns out, you're one of the special ones. Not everyone can hear me in this form. I thought Dean might be as well, but... He hasn't responded."

He ignored the _special_ thing for later. "I'm listening."

"Dean's going to stay with you. In the TARDIS."

The Doctor was a little taken aback at his claim. Dean certainly didn't seem like that was his plan. They had already discussed dropping him off at Bobby's. He was sure he wanted to see his brother. He wouldn't stay. Not now. "What makes you say that?"

"I'm an Angel. There are some things I know, for reasons I cannot disclose. But I know he will. He's out there now with that girl - "

"Martha." The Doctor corrected.

Castiel ignored him. " - and it's only a matter of time before he makes his decision. But he cannot go with you. He needs to stay on Earth. It's incredibly important." Castiel seemed convinced of this, and the Doctor couldn't help but take him seriously.

"Why does he need to stay? Is something going to happen?" The last time Castiel convinced him Dean had to go home, the next time the Doctor saw him (relative to Deans time line) he had been to _Hell_. He didn't want to leave him alone again, if the angel's master plan involved more pain and torture for the kid. He didn't care what his "destiny" was.

"I'm the one who pulled him out of Hell." Castiel's admittance shocked the Doctor into silence. "He was there for more than forty years in Hell. I only wish I had gotten there sooner. But I did not do it out of the kindness of my heart, Doctor. God himself commanded that he was to be saved, and I only went through with my orders."

"God?" The Doctor didn't believe in a God. He figured that if there was one out there, he would've seen it by now. But then again, he hadn't believed in angels either. "You can't be serious."

"I'm always serious," Castiel said, seriously. "God has great plans for him, I told you this. But he needs to be here in order to accomplish them. If he goes off with you, who knows when he'll be back."

The Doctor felt conflicted. On one hand, he agreed with Castiel. If God really did have plans for him, who was he to mess those up? Obviously _God_ didn't take the Doctor into his equation. But on the other hand, it was really Dean's choice. "I don't control him, Castiel. I can't tell him what to do."

"If you say so." Castiel didn't seem to believe him. "I have to go. Remember what I said."

Suddenly, the window in the bathroom shattered, causing the Doctor to flinch. "Castiel?" He called out, but got no response.

_**Thank you for reading! I'm so glad I can start putting Castiel in these chapters now. I love writing him! **_

_**Also, good job, Akayuki Novak, you got it spot on!**_


	58. Should I Stay or Should I Go Now?

_**Sorry for the long wait! Thank you for your patience and your reviews! I appreciate any sign that people are actually enjoying this.**_

"Martha? Dean?" The Doctor ran back out into the restaurant, stepping on shattered glass. "Is everyone okay?"

"Well, that was the strangest earthquake I have ever seen!" Betty and one of the servers had been cowering behind the counter to avoid getting window glass in their faces. "And that noise! What was that!"

The other group who had been in the restaurant seemed uninjured, but terribly frightened. Betty went to check on them, while the Doctor went to Martha and Dean. "You two hurt?"

Martha shook her head. "No, I think we're both okay. What about you?"

"I'm fine." The Doctor assured her.

"Do you know what that was? That couldn't have been an earthquake. That was... different. Alien, even."

"I don't think it's alien. I've seen it before," Dean admitted, much to the Doctor's surprise. "Just a little bit before you picked me up. I think it has something to do with me getting out of Hell. Either whatever got me out, or something that wants me back down there."

The Doctor knew he was right. Castiel, Angel of the Lord, who rescued Dean from the fiery pits downstairs. He wanted to be honest with him, but he heeded the angel's warning. He wasn't about to control Dean, as Castiel seemed to think, but he knew better than to give him information he was not supposed to know. "Maybe," was all he said.

"We need to figure out what it is!" Martha insisted. "Especially if it's coming after Dean."

"We don't know how dangerous it is, Martha." Dean reminded her. "Whatever it is, it's powerful. Way more powerful than us." It wasn't that Dean didn't want to find it, and it wasn't that he was scared of it. But he didn't want the Doctor or Martha getting hurt in his fight. And it was, after all, _his_ fight. He had gotten himself thrown into Hell, and it was his responsibility to deal with the aftermath. Not theirs, as much as they wanted to help.

Martha furrowed her brow. "So? We've dealt with powerful creatures before. And this one is too important to ignore. Look what it did to this place! We can't just let it be!"

"I'm not saying we let it be. I'm saying _you two_ let it be." Dean clarified, prepared for the wrath he would face for that.

Martha was quiet for a second, staring him down. "Don't start that again, Dean. Not after we were just starting to fix things. We want to help. You need are help, and what's more you deserve it. Don't go playing that _macho, I don't need anyone_ game with me. We both know better."

"It's not a game, Martha, that's not what I'm doing at all!' Dean argued. "This isn't personal. It's just the best option."

"You're just getting rid of us." Martha said, quietly. She looked away from him as he tried to make eye contact.

"Is that what you think? That I just want to go off on my own?" Dean scoffed. "I'm not. I don't want to be alone. Not again. I've had way too much experience with alone. I just... I have to take care of a few things. I have to figure out what this is. I have to see Bobby, and I have to see my brother..." Dean's voice broke at the last part, and he paused to compose himself. The Doctor knew it was hard for Dean to show any emotion - he thought it made him look weak. He couldn't help but take in one of the rare moments where he seemed to truly be making an effort to be completely honest. "Look, you don't believe me? Let's set a date."

"A date?" Martha repeated, almost laughing.

"Yeah! A date. Any date. Just one in the future, so I have some time to sort stuff out. You can go straight there, of course, if you want. You can do that, right Doc? Go to a specific time and place?" The Doctor nodded. "Good. Here," Dean grabbed the pen from the table, and took Martha's hand. He scribbled down a time and place on her, and let her go.

Martha stared down at it. "There? Seriously?"

"What, you have any better ideas? It was basically our first date. From your perspective, anyway, but I'm not flying out to Ireland anytime soon." Dean grinned.

Martha exchanged looks with the Doctor, who smiled and shrugged. "Alright. It's a date."

"Good. So, how about dropping me off at Bobby's? Oh, and I'll need to change first. Dead men usually don't wake up with new clothes."

"You aren't going to tell him where you are?"

Dean sighed. "No, not yet. Bad timing." They both nodded, understanding.

…

They dropped Dean off near Bobby's house, and went back to the TARDIS. "She always knows where to go, doesn't she?" Martha commented as the walked in. For whatever reason, she had always been connected to Dean. She always knew where to find him, and when.

"Apparently," The Doctor considered telling Martha about the encounter with Castiel, but he decided against it. She was so dead set on helping Dean, he wasn't sure if she'd make a clear-minded decision on what to do. Of course, he could say the same thing about himself. Instead, he offered her what she wanted. "So, about that date..."

"Oh, yeah..." Martha felt a little awkward about it, but she nonetheless wanted to go. "You don't mind, right? I mean, not that it's going to change my decision, but... I figured I should ask."

The Doctor smiled. "No, I don't mind. Thanks for asking. So, let me see your hand. Where are you going?" Martha showed him Dean's scribbled handwriting. "There, really?"

Martha shrugged. "Romantic, I know."


	59. A New Imaginary Friend

Dean didn't exactly have a plan.

He rarely did, to be fair. And when he did, they rarely went well. But this particular time, he sort of wished he had thought of something more.

He stood in the Denny's parking lot, considering how stupid of a decision it was. All the places he could have suggested, and he chose _here_. T was the first place they went when Martha met Dean, but still.

He tried to think of somewhere else he could take her afterwords, to try and save this date a little. But he really couldn't.

To be honest, it had been a hard couple of weeks. He got to Bobby's fine, and after convincing him it was really Dean, they went to find Sam.

Dean could not put into words how it felt to see his brother again, after so long in the pit. The demons had taunted him with images of his brother, knowing that he'd never be able to see him again. Or so they thought.

He had truly believed that Sam had something to so with getting him out of the pit. He was sure that his little brother had made some kind of deal with the devil, much like Dean's own deal. But Sam swore he had nothing to so with it, and Dean had no choice to believe him.

And then he met Castiel.

This so-called _angel_ that could only mean trouble for the Winchester, supposedly was the one who raised him from Hell. An "Angel of the Lord," he called himself. One who had to possess some poor bastard just to exist on the Earth.

Dean sat in the Impala in the Denny's parking lot, replaying the angels words. _You don't think you deserved to be saved._ Dean closed his eyes, gripping the steering wheel. No, he didn't. Because he knew what he did downstairs. He knew who he became. He deserved to stay down there, and rot like all the others. Why did he deserve to be revived more than anyone else? And why, out of all of his creations, did "God" want him to be saved?

It was too much to process alone. He desperately wanted to tell Sam about all he knew, about all that had happened. But he couldn't bring himself to tell his little brother the truth. He considered telling Martha, but he didn't want to admit it to her, either.

Who he really wanted to talk to was the Doctor. The Doctor was never judgmental towards him. Even when he sold his soul, and Dean knew he was pissed, he didn't act like Sam or Donna. He would listen to Dean, he would understand.

But it wasn't the Doctor he had invited out on a date. It was Martha, so for the night, there would be no discussing Hell. He just had to put those feelings on hold for a while longer.

He paced back and forth outside of the entrance. He had gotten here too early, which was a stupid idea because of course Martha was going to be exactly on time. She had a literal time machine that could take her right here.

On top of that, it would be weird that she would have come straight from the last time he had seen her, even though for him it had been weeks.

"Dean!" A man's voice called out to him, one he did not recognize. He turned around to see a shorter man with light brown hair coming towards him. He wore a brown suit jacket and tan slacks. On his neck was was blue bow tie.

"Uh, do I know you?"

"Do you know me? Well that's a strange question coming from you," The man gave him a strange, dramatic look. "You're the one whose all young and different, not me!" Dean just stared at the guy until finally he titled his head slightly and squinted. "Wait... maybe you're _too_ young and different."

"Look, dude, I don't know who you are, but I -"

"Nonsense! Of course you know who I am. You just don't know that you know who I am. Yet."

Dean started to feel anxious. This guy was starting to creep him out, and apparently he knew who Dean was. He felt the cool metal of the gun against his back, and kept it in mind just in case. "What's your name, dude?"

"I'm the Doctor, of course!"

Dean eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

"Yup, you're too young. Never met this reincarnation, my bad!" The man laughed, oddly. Dean looked him up and down. _Reincarnation? What they hell was he talking about?_

"How do you know the Doctor?"

"Well, we go _waaaay_ back. Known him my whole life. I should, anyway, seeing as how I _am_ him. I thought we already covered that. Hm. Strange."

"You're _not _the Doctor. I know him. He doesn't look anything like you."

"No, you know what the Doctor _used_ to look like. But now *this is what the Doctor looks like. Me." The man—the Doctor smiled up at him.

"That doesn't make any sense!" Dean knew this guy had to be crazy. That was the only possibility. Could the Doctor change his face? Was a Time Lord like a shapeshifter? The Doctor had never mentioned it before, and it seemed like he should have.

"You want me to prove it to you?" The Doctor took a step back. "You are Dean Winchester. Your brother is Sam Winchester, your father is John and your mother is Mary. The first time I met you you were four, and you had lost your mum in a grocery store. When you broke your arm on a hunt I promised to take you to the future, but accident took you back to the past. You're brother left to Stanford, and I helped you fins your brother. I was there right after your father died. I was there right after your sold your soul, and I'm the first one you saw when you got out of Hell. We've hunted ghosts and demons together. And we—actually, I shouldn't mention that, I don't think it's happened yet."

Dean felt frozen in place. There was no way anyone knew all of that. He hasn't even told Sam all of that. "But... I don't understand."

"I'm a Time Lord, Dean. There are lots of things you don't understand about me. Yet. Now, come on, I'll explain in the TARDIS. I assume you haven't met Amy or Rory, yet."

_**Okay, but real talk, did y'all watch the latest supernatural episode? That was fucked up.**_


	60. Looking Back

Only when Dean saw the TARDIS did he truly believe that this man was the Doctor. The blue box looked the same from the outside, totally inconspicuous parked in an alley a few blocks away. All his other emotions were put on hold for the moment, and were replaced with awe.

"So you believe me now, Winchester?" The Doctor grinned, looking at the boy. The last time he had seen Dean, he had been much, much older. And not nearly as friendly. But he was desperate to see him, young again, and one place he knew he would be was here. It was right before he met Martha for their date.

"But... How?" They both stood outside the blue doors.

"Time Lords, we... When we're in danger of dying, we regenerate. It's like a fresh new start. We become a brand new person. Well, we're still the same person, but different."

"You were dying?"

The Doctor shrugged. "It's a long story. And not one I think I can tell you, just yet. But yes, I was. No matter, though, I took care of it. "

Dean nodded. "And by that you mean... You changed everything." Dean felt nervous about this. Talking to this Doctor was like talking to your best friend from high school 20 years later. It was the same person you remembered, but they acted completely different.

"Yes. Just about. So, you want to go inside? Its a bit different in there, too."

"Let's go."

The Doctor opened the front doors, and once again Dean felt an array of emotions. One part of him felt right at home in the TARDIS. She felt just as welcoming and comfortable as always. And yet... It looked different. He slowly made his way up to the console, taking in the new look of the place. "So, what do you think?" The Doctor asked from behind him.

The room now had an orange and red glow to it. The walls still formed a sort of dome shape around the console, but there were fewer roundels on them. (Dean still didn't understand what the roundels did even after having the Doctor explain. It didn't seem like the Doctor really knew, either.) Even the console itself had changed dramatically. It was now hexagonal, and appeared to have something resembling a typewriter, a telegraph, a gramophone attached to it. At first Dean almost felt betrayed but the change, but when he placed his palm on the console, and it instantly warmed up, he felt the same life pulsing through him as he always did with the _other _Doctor. It felt as though she was welcoming him home. "I like it, Doc."

The Doctor grinned. "Excellent! Now, I have some people I'd like you to meet!" He ran past Dean and into the hallway. Dean lost sight of him, but heard him call "Amy! Rory!"

After a few moments of silence, Dean could hear the Doctor's and a woman's voice, although they sounded far away. They voices got louder and louder before the Doctor walked back through the hallways followed by two people who Dean could only assume were Amy and Rory.

"Doctor, this better be important."

"I told you it was!"

The girl stopped as soon as her eyes landed on a wide-eyed Dean. The guy stopped as well, but he just looked around, confused. "Uh, Doctor?"

"Amy, Rory, I'd like you to meet Dean. Dean, this is Amy and Rory." The Doctor pulled the two along with him to stand beside Dean.

"Oh, uh, hello, Dean." Rory stuck out his hand, which Dean accepted.

"Nice to meet you. Are you Amy or Rory?" Dean asked, jokingly.

Rory laughed awkwardly. "Oh, no, I'm Rory. This is Amy."

Amy narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, slightly. With a slight smile she, too, shook Dean's hand. "How do you do, Dean."

"I'm great, thanks for asking. A little confused, but..." Dean gave the Doctor a look, and the Doctor just gazed back innocently. "So you two travel with the Doctor?"

"Yes, we do." Rory answered. "We have been, and still are. And probably will continue to."

Amy directed her question to the Doctor. "So, how do you know Dean?"

"Oh, we go _waaay _back, Dean and I. He's a good friend of mine."

Dean nodded, smiling. "He's known me since I was four. I've been runnin' around with him for practically my whole life." Dean could barely remember his first visits with the Doctor. He could recall a few moments here and there: the Doctor smiling down at him for the first time, him pointing his mom out of a crowd, and holding Rose's hand for dear life as he peered out into the vastness of space. The whole experience was so unbelievable, that if the Doctor hadn't suddenly showed up six years later at that hospital, Dean would have chalked it up to childish imagination.

But it wasn't his imagination. It was real. The Doctor was real.

It would forever amaze Dean that the Doctor had chosen _him_. He had met several of companions throughout the years, and he knew they all deserved to have the experiences the Doctor could give them. But all of his companions have come and went. They would travel with the Doctor for a few years, and then they were gone. Some by choice, others not so much. But 26 years, the Doctor had continued to find Dean. He'd continued to show him more of the universe than Dean could ever imagine on his own, and bring him along on adventures he could only dream about, otherwise. The Doctor saw something in Dean he would never see in himself, but he was eternally grateful that he did.

But why Dean? Why did he deserve it? Dean knew he had done a lot of bad in his lifetime, and even more down in Hell. He always tried to do the right thing, always tried to help, but that didn't mean that he was always successful. Most of the time, he felt like he couldn't escape this deep dark hole of self-loathing and hate. He was constantly surrounded by reminders of his failings, and now even Sammy seemed to doubt him. So what did he really have to offer to the Doctor? Why in the world did the Doctor look at him and say, "Come with me,"?

Dean didn't know, and probably never would, but the Doctor did. His last regeneration had been a hard one. He found Amy almost immediately, (although at the time she was only a little girl, much like when he fist met Dean,) and decided to bring her along. Eventually Rory hopped aboard as well. But in all that time, he had yet to see Dean again.

Truth be told, he was a little concerned about it. He was worried about how Dean would take his regeneration. It wasn't as if this was something the kid would be used to. In fact, he worried it might remind Dean of a shapeshifter, or some other kind of monster he hunted. He wanted Dean to be comfortable with him, not feel as though he should be hunting him.

The thing was, Dean was important to the Doctor. He had known the hunter for years, and he had seen him grow up. Dean was a good person with a good heart, even if he couldn't see it himself. His bravery and thirst for adventure was only part of the reason the Doctor knew Dean would make a good companion.

The Doctor had seen Dean through the good and the bad, (sometimes the really, really bad,) and he didn't want to jeopardize his relationship to Dean because of his regeneration. He planned to stay away for a while and think things through before seeing him again. But eventually, he couldn't wait any longer. He knew he had to show Dean eventually.

That's when he decided to pick up Dean at Denny's. He knew he would be there, and he would still be young and (hopefully) more open-minded, so it was the perfect time.

"Four year old, huh?" Amy spoke, bringing both Dean and the Doctor back to reality. "Did he promise to be right back, and then leave you hanging for twelve years?"

Dean looked at the Doctor who just looked away. "Uh, not quite, no."

Amy smiled. "Ah, I guess I'm just special, then."

"So, Dean, what are you doing here?" Rory asked, politely. "Is this like a vacation or something?"

Dean shook his head. "No, actually, I have no idea what I'm doing here. Doc came and found me, actually." All three of them now looked to the Doctor for an explanation.

The Doctor took a step back, looking slightly offended. "What? I can't just feel like picking up an old friend? I thought it would be fun."

"No, no, we don't mind."

"Yeah, Doc," Dean agreed. "I never said _no_. So, did you guys have any plans? You going anywhere specific?"

"Actually, I had an idea," The Doctor grinned and ran over to the console.

Amy rolled her eyes. "That's never a good sign."

_**60 chapters, guys! That's pretty amazing. It's been over a year since I began this story, so thank you for all of you who have stuck it out this long, and to those of you just joining now. I thought I'd make this one a little nostalgic for Dean and the Doctor to celebrate. Sorry for how long it's taking me, I hope to have the next one up in much less time.**_

_**Thank you for reading! Please review, let me know what you think!**_


	61. Don't Go Into the Light

_**Another super late chapter. Hope it's exciting enough for you! Thank you for the reviews, they're what keeps me writing! **_

Dean had yet to meet an Ood, before, but the Doctor insisted he would want to meet one. "They are an intelligent race, trust me. But others have not always been kind to them."

As the Doctor struggled with coordinates and levers, the three companions waited patiently off to the side. Normally Dean liked watching the Doctor work the TARDIS, but Amy and Rory had moved away, and he felt like he should follow. After all, even though he had been riding along with the Doctor for longer than they ever would, he felt more like a guest to these people.

He had built relationships with the other companions. Martha, Donna, and Rose welcomed him the first time he met them, and he was grateful for that. But with this version of the Doctor, everything was new, and Dean wasn't quite sure where he stood with him, or with his new companions.

"So, are you two, like, together?"

Rory grinned, wrapping his arm around Amy's waist. "Yeah, we're married." Amy nodded in agreement, but took a step to the side.

An awkward silence fell over the group. "So you said you were four when you met the Doctor. How exactly did that happen?"

"Just by accident, really. I was shopping with my mom and I got lost. He just happened to be around." Dean explained. He couldn't remember it all that well, since it was so many years ago, but he remembered enough to piece everything together. "He helped me find her, and then just disappeared. After that, we just kept bumping into each other for a while. Then we actually sough each other out."

"Why don't you just stay?" Amy inquired. "You seem to like traveling enough. And the Doctor seems to like you enough. Why leave every time?"

Dean didn't quite know how to answer. "I just have... other responsibilities to attend to, you know? I got a life back at home. A family." Well, he had Sam. And Bobby. But not much else. And Sam, well, he had been distant since they connected again. Sam was lying to him, that much was clear. But what could his little brother have to hide from him?

In the Winchester world, there were always problems like that keeping him busy. There was no down time, no stopping the whirlpool of Hell that was always nipping at his heels. There was no time to take off and travel with the Doctor for long. He wasn't afforded that luxury. "But I'll be honest, I would love to do what you guys do. To be able to live here, permanently, everyday being an adventure? That sounds amazing."

"Yeah, I guess it is." Amy looked over at Rory, thinking.

While Amy and Rory had their moment, out of the corner of his eye, Dean saw a strange light through the windows of the TARDIS' front door. "Uh, Doc, where are we?"

"Right now we're still in the middle of the solar system. Why?"

"I think there's something outside..."

The Doctor looked up from the console. "That's impossible. The light is much too close to us to be a star." He looked back down. "Whoa, something weird is happening. The TARDIS, she's going nuts."

Amy was the first at the door, standing on her toes to peer up out the small window. "I can't see anything. It's just... a white light."

"It's getting closer!" Rory warned, keeping his distance from the door. "Either that or it's getting bigger."

"Amy, I'd move away from the door if I were you," Dean tried to lead her away, but Amy pulled back.

"I don't see what good that's going to do. Doctor, do you have any idea what it could be?" The Doctor didn't answer. "Doctor, are you listening? What's going on here?"

The light outside was growing, and suddenly the entire TARDIS was sheathed in it's glow. Amy, Dean, and Rory shielded their eyes.

The Doctor did not. He simply stared down at the console. "That's impossible..." He said quietly, almost to himself. "No being I know of is powerful enough to bring us here."

"Doctor!" Amy called again, now on the ground. "Doctor, where are we?"

"We're... we're in Gallifrey."

The TARDIS began to shake violently, throwing it's inhabitants around the console room. Dean heard a piercing sound reverberate around the room, and then everything went dark.

…

Dean opened his eyes slowly. His head hurt like hell. He remembered the bright light outside, and getting thrown around the TARDIS like a rag doll, but then nothing. When he sat up and surveyed his surroundings, he was glad to see he was still in the TARDIS. She was still, and the light was gone.

He saw Amy a few feet away, laying unconscious on the ground. He got up the momentum to stand, and walked over to her. She was breathing, and seemed relatively unhurt except for a trail of blood leading from a scratch on her forehead, down her cheek. He gently shook her awake. "Amy? Amy, you okay?"

She swatted his hand away and then brought her hands to her face. "Oh my god... what the hell happened?"

"Don't know. I just woke up." He glanced around and spotted Rory, who was just waking up, himself. "Rory, you okay, buddy?" Rory just gave a thumbs up in response.

Amy sat up. "Where's the Doctor?"

Dean shrugged. "He's not in the room. I haven't seen him."

"Why would he leave without waking us up first?"

"Maybe he didn't leave by choice."

"What does that mean?"

"I'm just saying. Whatever that light was outside, it wasn't friendly. We don't know what it wanted from us, or where it took us."

"A-actually," Rory piped up. "We, uh, we do know where it took us. The Doctor said it right before the ship went crazy."

"Well where are we then?"

Rory frowned. "Well, I'm not sure he was right. I mean... it's kind of impossible. He said... he said we were in Gallifrey."

Dean's eyes went wide. "I thought that got, like, destroyed, or something."

"Whatever that light was, it was powerful. More powerful than we thought, I guess." Amy stood, as did the others. "Well, if the Doctor's out there somewhere, we should find him. He... he shouldn't be here."

They all looked at the door. "Let's do this."


	62. Her Choice

Dean had heard about Gallifrey, and this was nothing like how he imagined it.

It looked like a desert at first; orange clay beneath his feet. A flame colored glow draped over the horizon. But it wasn't hot like a desert, it was comfortable.

"What year do you think it is?" Amy asked as she stepped out, followed by Rory. "I mean, how many years before... you know what happened to it."

Dean shrugged. "No idea. All of these questions... only one thing can answer them. I wish we had some way of tracking the damn thing."

"What about the TARDIS?" Rory suggested. "You think she could?"

"Even if she could track the things energy or whatever, none of us can use the TARDIS." Amy reminded him. "Only the Doctor can."

"Not necessarily..." Dean glanced back at the living machine. He had always connected so deeply with her. Even so, Dean had only ever seen the Doctor fly her. He could only hope she would extend that privilege to him. "Let me try. If all goes well, maybe I can fly us straight to it, and subsequently, straight to the Doctor."

"What makes you think you can fly the TARDIS?" Amy asked as she and Rory followed Dean back inside to the console. "Have you ever done it before?"

Dean shook his head. "No, but I've seen the Doctor do it, like, a bazillion times. I think I might be able to wing it."

"This is a bad idea." Rory glowered. "Even the Doctor has trouble flying her, sometimes. And you've never done it before. Even if, by some miracle, you get us off the ground, how are you going to land it?"

"Nah, you're too pessimistic, Rory." Dean smiled, not at all reassuringly. "Sometimes you just gotta do what your gut tells you to do. And my gut is telling me I can totally do this."

Amy looked between the two boys. "Well, I guess it's worth a shot. Besides, can you imagine if it works? Flying the TARDIS would be pretty cool."

"Awesome. Let's do it."

They all hovered over the control panel, waiting for Dean to do something. Dean just stared down at the levers and buttons with a blank face. "Well, you said you knew how to do it. Sort of. So... do it." Amy crossed her arms, impatiently. She wanted to find the Doctor as soon as possible, and she knew they didn't have time to waste.

"Alright, alright, I'm doing it." Dean frowned. He tried to visualize the Doctor at the panel. What did he do? He placed his palm on the metal surface and closed his eyes, fully aware of how Amy and Rory were staring at him like he was certifiable. _Come on, baby. We can do this. Help me out here, TARDIS._

Rory glanced at Amy, who just shrugged. He knew Dean was probably their best shot at finding the Doctor fast, but he didn't really trust the guy, yet. He seemed nice enough, but nice is different than good. The Doctor trusted him, but the Doctor wasn't always sound when it came to trusting people. Finally, Dean opened his eyes and grinned. "Okay, guys. I got this."

…

The Doctor's head was swimming when he opened his eyes. Just as he read the coordinates, a blast of white light knocked him off his feet, sending him into the air. Except he never hit the ground. Not for what seemed like minutes. And when his feet did touch the floor, it wasn't the TARDIS' floor anymore. It was... Gallifrey's.

Except it couldn't be. Gallifrey was gone. It was unreachable. Nothing he knew of had the kind of power to bring him here. This had to be some kind of joke, and it wasn't a very funny one.

At first he was alone. He called out for Amy, Rory, and Dean, but whatever happened during the blast must have separated them. The TARDIS was not near, either. "Whoever's out there, whoever did this... show yourself." He shouted.

He waited, but no one appeared. "Come on, now, don't be a coward. You got this far, didn't you? That trick you played back in the TARDIS, that was clever, I'll give you that. I don't know too many who can infiltrate my ship. But then again, I don't know too many who can bring me here."

"You're right, you don't. You just know one." The Doctor turned to see Castiel, who had appeared behind him. "Hello, Doctor."

"Castiel." The Doctor sighed. He had never truly liked the angel that Dean eventually got so attached to. While he could admit that Castiel had changed dramatically over the years thanks to Dean, the angel still bugged him more often than not. But this was not that Castiel. This was Castiel back when Dean first knew him, and that was even worse.

"I assume you know where we are."

"Yes, but I don't believe it. There is no way you have the power to bring me here."

Castiel's eyes glinted as he tilted his head. "It's not easy, I assure you. But I have my father and his power behind me."

The Doctor wasn't sure he completely believed that, but he let it slide. "Why, then, did you bring me here? Why now?"

"This isn't about you, Doctor. This is about Dean."

"It's always about Dean with you, isn't it?" The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Can't you just leave the boy alone? What good are you doing by bringing him to Gallifrey? And why separate us?"

"You of all people understand the dangers of messing with time lines, Doctor. I knew you would figure out where you had landed, and left right away. You know how risky your presence here is. But I had to bring Dean here somehow, without him knowing why or how."

"Why did he need to be here?"

"Don't you see where we are?"

The Doctor took a good look around for the first time. He hadn't wanted to at first, because he knew it would only lead to painful memories. But suddenly he became aware of his surrounding. He bent down and ran his fingers over the soil beneath him. "This is... they're growing TARDIS coral..."

Castiel nodded. "Not just any TARDIS coral, Doctor. Somewhere in this patch, is the coral that will become _your_ ship."

The Doctor closed his eyes, his stomach twisting. This all felt so wrong. He shouldn't be here. And neither should Dean. "What is the point of all this?"

"Dean's destiny is intertwined with your own. I've tried to keep your interference at a minimum, but there is no denying your impact on his future. But it's not just you, Doctor. It's the TARDIS, too. And all those years ago when you stole her from this very planet, she, in turn, stole _you_. The TARDIS is a living creature, and she made a choice just like you did. And now it's time for her to make another one."

…

"We're going to die. We are _so_ going to die!" Rory was grasping onto the railing for dear life and Dean drove the TARDIS through Gallifrey. It was, in short, a bumpy ride.

"Sorry... oh, whoops! Sorry 'bout that, guys. Hang on, I think I'm getting the hang of this." Dean struggled to keep upright as he was throwing levers left and right. The TARDIS had tracked the Doctor down not too far from where they were, and then it was up to them to fly her there. So far, so good.

"Is there something I can do to help?" Amy asked, watching Dean struggle.

"Uh, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure what _I'm_ doing. I'm not sure I could direct you, too." Dean smiled, sheepishly. "Oh, wait, we're here!"

The TARDIS came to an abrupt halt. The sudden lack of movement caught Rory off guard, who immediately fell to the floor. Amy laughed, got her balance, and helped him up.

"So, I don't think I did too bad for a first go," Dean grinned, proudly. 

"Well, we got here, and we're not dead," Amy shrugged. "Come on, let's hurry."

Dean was the first one out. "What the hell...?" The TARIDS had landed on the edge of a field, growing who knows what for miles outward.

"What is this stuff?" Rory asked aloud. He bent down to inspect it.

"It looks like... coral." Amy lowered her brow. "That's strange. You got any ideas, Dean? Dean?"

Dean was staring toward the field with a mystical expression on his face. "Do you guys hear that?"

Amy and Rory exchanged a glance. "Hear what?" They said, simultaneously.

"I don't know... It's like... not even a sound. It's like... hold on." Dean could feel whatever it was pulling him in. He could feel it's energy coursing through him, daring him to come closer. He started walking forward.

"Dean, wait!" Amy and Rory followed behind him. "Where are you going?" 

"I'm not sure. This way." Dean quickened his pace, as did they.

"Dean, we're looking for the Doctor, remember?"

"He's here, somewhere, otherwise the TARDIS wouldn't have brought us here, would she?" Dean kept his eyes focused on the ground. He was looking for something, something specific. The only problem was that he didn't know what that was.

Suddenly, Dean stopped. Amy, who had been right behind him, crashed into him. "Whoa! Why'd you stop?"

"Shh!" Dean shushed her, bringing a finger to his lips. He glanced around him, searching. "Here." He knelt down beside one of the coral. It was smaller than some of the others, and a paler color. An overwhelming urge brought his finger to it's rough surface. The coral instantly warmed to his touch.

"Oh. My. God." Amy backed away and Rory grabbed her arm. "Dean, you are _glowing_."

Dean's eyes widened as he looked down and saw a yellow glow surrounding him. It was warm and comfortable. It reminded him of when he was little, and his mother would cuddle up to him and wrap her arms around him. It made him feel safe and secure, like nothing bad or evil could ever get to him.

But then his eyes returned to the coral, which had also developed a glow, except this one was blue. The coral glimmered beneath it.

It was as if he and the coral were trading energy, gaining life from the other, but also giving some away. They weren't just connected, they were becoming _part of one another_.

Dean removed his hand from the coral, but much to his surprise, the feeling of it's energy did not dissipate, although the glowing aura did. He stood slowly, and turned around to a very scared and confused Amy and Rory.

"Dean, what was that?"

"What were you doing?"

"I don't know... I didn't... I didn't meat to." Dean explained. "It just sort of happened."

"How does something like that _just happen_?"

"Look, if I knew what was going on, I'd tell you. But right now-"

"Doctor!" Amy interrupted him, screaming. The boys turned to see where she was pointing to, and off in the distance they could both make out the Doctor's figure, running toward them.

They ran to meet him in the middle. "Doctor! You're okay!"

"Yes, it does seem that way, doesn't it? And you three seem relatively unharmed yourselves." The Doctor said, thankfully.

"What happened to you, Doc? You disappeared off the TARDIS!"

"It's a long story. We really should be leaving this place, it's not safe. How in the world did you three even find me, here?"

"Dean flew the TARDIS."

The Doctor's eyes widened. "You did?"

Dean nodded. "It was... difficult. But yeah, I managed alright, I think."

"That's not even the weirdest thing he's done, today." Rory pointed out. "Doctor, what is this stuff?"

The Doctor looked down at the coral. "This? This is... TARDIS coral. It's what every TARDIS is grown from."

Dean thought about the energy he had felt. That was from a TARDIS? "So all of these are going to end up as ships?"

"They should, yes." The Doctor could see the strange look on Dean's face. "Dean, what happened?"

"Well, uh, I kind of touched one, and some weird stuff went down. I was glowing, and it was glowing. It was weird." The Doctor thought back to what Castiel had said. He supposed the angel was right, after all. The TARDIS _did_ make her choice. "Do you know what that means? Is something going to happen to me?"

"No, you should be alright. I can explain, later. Let's just get back to my ship."

…

It all made sense now.

Dean had always felt a connection to the TARDIS, one he couldn't explain. The coral he touched had been the same coral that would eventually grown into a full fledged TARDIS, which the Doctor would run off with after it was decommissioned. And 100s of years after that, Dean would step foot in it for the first time when he was just four years old.

And now, he had a little part of the TARDIS in him, and the TARDIS had a little part of Dean in her.

"I still don't understand how we got there." Amy frowned. "And what was that bright light?"

The Doctor shook his head. "That, I am still not to clear on. I told you, I just woke up in the middle of that field. But trust me, we don't want any part of whatever did that. It has to be powerful, and most certainly dangerous."

Dean narrowed his eyes. He could tell the Doctor was hiding something. This new version of the Doctor was a lot easier to read than the last. He absolutely knew how they got there, and why. But for some reason, he wasn't sharing. Maybe he just didn't want Amy and Rory to know. Maybe he just didn't want Dean to know. Either way, Dean didn't like it.

The Doctor quickly changed the subject. "Well, Dean, I should probably be getting you back to your date, huh?" He stood quickly, hopping over to the console.

"Yeah, I guess so." Dean followed behind.

"So, Dean. What's the verdict?"

"On what?"

"On me. The new me. What do you think? Am I still the same old Doctor, after all this time?"

Dean smiled. "Yeah, yeah definitely. I mean, it's really weird, seeing you all... different. But I don't mind."

"Good." The TARDIS landed back in the Denny's parking lot. "I guess this is goodbye. For now, anyway."

"Thanks, Doc, for thinking of me. Thank you for showing me this... new side of you."

The Doctor just nodded.

"See ya, around."

Dean stepped off the TARDIS, and waited beside it as it faded out. It had never felt worse to leave the TARDIS than it did right now. He wondered if the TARDIS felt the same way.

_**This is the longest chapter in a loooong while, so I hope it was good. I just love the idea of Dean being connected with the TARDIS at a deeper level than anyone else. He's always felt like the TARDIS was his home, but now he understands more of what the Doctor feels. The TARDIS is more than just his home. As long as he has his ship, he's never really traveling alone.**_

_**Let me know what you think about all this. Your reviews mean a lot to me!**_


	63. Date, Interrupted

_**Thanks for reading, everyone! **_

_**Quick update, I actually just moved for the first time in 9 years, so I'm still kinda getting settled in. I haven't had too much time to write but I didn't want to leave you guys for too long without an update. So sorry if I'm taking a while in between chapters, and thank you for being patient! You guys are awesome!**_

_**Also, to the guest reviewer who commented on the how the "oldest planet in the universe" couldn't be 13 billion years old because the Earth was 14 billion years old: Scientists believe the Earth is actually only 4.54 billion years old. The **_**universe **_**is said to be around 14 billion years old, which is probably what your thinking about. Thank you, anyway, though!**_

"Dean!" Martha saw him the moment she stepped out of the TARDIS. He turned around, smiling when he saw her. She ran over to him, hugging him.

"Oh, have I missed you." Dean smiled, pulling away. "So, how long has it been for you? Did you go on a few adventures, first, or did you head straight over here?"

Martha pursed her lips together. "I have my own life, you know. I do other things." Dean raised one eyebrow, playfully. "Okay, fine. I came right over. I did change though, if you remember."

"It's been a lot longer for me. I don't happen to remember what you were wearing last time."

Martha glanced behind him. "So. Here we are, back at Denny's."

"Don't judge. It'll be cool."

Dean held out his arm, and Martha accepted it. They walked into the restaurant and were seated. They sat across from each other at one of the booths. "So, what's the Doctor doin'?"

Martha shrugged. "He said he'd be back in a couple hours. Who knows what his plans are." She looked down at her menu, and then back up at him. "So, how have you been? What have you done since I last saw you?"

"There's been so much going on," Dean admitted. "I found my brother, of course. And I've been trying to wrap my head around this whole _Hell_ thing..."

"Did you figure out... how you got out?"

Dean nodded. "At least I think so. I tracked down this... this guy that I heard might have something to do with it. But when I found him..." Dean paused, making Martha worry. "Well, he's a little shady, let's put it that way."

"But you met him? You've seen him?" Martha didn't know much about the supernatural world, and she knew even less about Hell, but it seemed like this guy had to be powerful. He had to be pretty badass to go down to Hell and rescue Dean.

"Yeah, I've met him. His name's Castiel, I guess."

Martha couldn't hide the shock on her face. "Castiel?"

Dean raised his brow. "Yeah, Castiel... Why?"

Martha recalled back to when she and the Doctor met the angel. Dean had as well, but Castiel managed to wipe his memory of that day completely. The so-called angel had mentioned plans he had for Dean, but he hadn't mentioned pulling him out of Hell. If Castiel really could do that for Dean, well, she may have to believe him about the angel thing.

But Dean didn't know about their early encounter with him, and it had to stay that way. "Oh, no, it's just… the name sounds familiar."

Dean gave her a look, but seemed to accept it. "I don't know, man, but this whole thing is messed up. There's… according to Cas there's some bad shit going down, here."

"You call him Cas?"

"No. Yes. I mean, I guess. Look, that's not important. What's important is that whoever this guy is, and regardless of who he claims to be, he seems to know things. I think we can use him."

Martha frowned. "Use him for what?"

Dean opened his mouth to answer, but before he said anything, a waitress came over to their table. "Hello, and welcome to Denny's. May I take your-" The woman stopped mid sentence, much to Martha's confusion.

"Um," Martha glanced over at Dean, only to find him staring up at the waitress with wide eyes. She glanced back at the red-haired girl, but she didn't recognize her. "Dean?"

"Well, I'll be damned. What are the odds?" The waitress glanced between the two of them, seated below her.

"Mara?" Dean recognized the time-traveling criminal he had met on Shedir, even with the hair change. It was longer now, and unnaturally red, but the face beneath it looked exactly the same. "What the hell?" The last he had seen her, Jack was tracking her down for all kinds of charges.

Just then, the front door to the restaurant burst open. Dean, Martha, and Mara all turned to look. A man came running in, stopping to look around. "Jack!" Martha exclaimed, even more surprised than before. Jack's eyes fell to the group of three at the table, and he grinned.

"Stop where you are, Mara." He took a step toward her, holding his hands out. "We can still do this civilly."

Mara's lips curled into a smirk. She let the pad of paper she was holding as part of her disguise fall to the table. She didn't seem to pay any attention to the rest of the people in the restaurant, who were all staring, now. "I don't think we can, anymore, Jack." She turned back to face Dean. "Sorry we couldn't stop and catch up, Dean. We'll talk later!" And just like that, she took off, sprinting.

"Wait! Stop!" Jack dashed after her.

Dean immediately jumped out of his chair as Jack whisked by him. "We should follow them," He said, reaching his hand out to Martha, who still had no clue what was going on.

Martha stared up at his hand, blankly for a second, and then looked after Jack and Mara. "Dean, I don't-"

"Just trust me, Martha! Let's run!" Martha sighed, knowing this was a bad idea, but grabbed his hand anyway. Together they followed Jack and Mara through the kitchen, and then out the back of the restaurant.

Mara looped around the perimeter, glancing back at her three followers. She grinned, picking up her speed as she turned the corner. For a few seconds, the rest of the group couldn't see her, and she used that time to her advantage.

By the time Jack, who was closest to her, could see her again, she was already in a car. And not just any car.

Dean and Martha caught up just in time to see Mara drive away in a black Chevy Impala. "Whoa, whoa, what the hell!?"

"I'm guessing that was your car..." Martha dropped his hand as they watched it disappear.

"Ooh… that bitch. She knew! Somehow, she knew!" Dean cursed to himself. Jack seemed equally distressed about loosing the target. He was staring off at where she disappeared, looking lost.

Martha glanced between the two boys. "So, is _anyone_ going to tell me what's going on, or what?"

Her words seemed to bring Jack back to the present. He turned to his two old friends. "Well, well, well, is it good to see you two!" He looked at Martha. "Martha! It's been a while. How have you been?"

Martha stared at him, quizzically. "I've been better. Still don't understand what you're doing here, or who that woman is."

Jack ignored that. "Dean! It's always good to see you." Jack winked, and Dean rolled his eyes.

"Always a pleasure, Jack. But seriously, how did you two end up here?"

Jack sighed. "Alright, alright. I guess an explanation is in order. But I'll only give it to you over drinks. And not from this place."

Dean looked to Martha, who just shrugged. "Okay, we're in."


	64. The Truth Hurts

They walked down the street to the nearest bar, much to Martha's dismay. It was dark and dusty inside, and everyone there looked sad and lonely. It wasn't the place she would have chosen, but it was a familiar scene to Dean.

They sat at one of the tables, and Jack went to get them drinks, on him.

As he left, Martha turned to Dean, who sat beside her. "Seriously, Dean. You gotta tell me what's going on. Who is that girl? And why is Jack chasing her?"

"Her name is Mara. I met her years ago with the Doctor." Dean explained. "We went to this planet, Shedir, which by complete luck was where she was hiding out from Jack. Apparently she's wanted by whoever he's working for, for a bunch of different reasons, including murder."

"So she's dangerous?"

"Definitely. She took me down pretty bad. She's stronger than she looks. But we never ended up catching her. She got away from us, and I guess Jack's been following her since."

"Why would she come here?"

Dean shrugged. "That's something to ask Jack. He knows more about her than me. I only met the bitch once."

Jack came back with three beers, and handed them out. "Thanks."

Jack took a swing of his before starting. "So, you guys have questions."

Dean nodded. "Yeah. Like why the hell Mara is here."

"I don't know why she came to this particular place in time. Honestly, I don't know much about her. The device she uses for time travel leaves traces of radiation behind, which is the only reason I can track her."

Dean looked down at his hands on the table, thinking. He suddenly startled Martha by moving his hand quickly to his jacket pocket. He patted his jacket and jeans before declaring, "I don't have my cell phone."

Martha shrugged. "You haven't had it out since I got here."

"Exactly. I probably left it in my car." He said, knowingly.

"Can you track it with GPS?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, if I can get to a computer."

…

Jack had been "borrowing" a car of his own, so he gave them a ride to Dean's motel room, which he was sharing with Sam. "You sure you don't want us to come in?"

Dean shook his head. "No, thanks, I got this." Dean really didn't want to have to tell Sam where he had gone. He had straight up lied to his brother about going out, saying he was going to meet up with some hunter buddies of his. Sam didn't really seem to believe the lame lie, but didn't question it. Now, he was going to have to be honest, with Martha and Jack waiting outside in the car. It was hard to hide.

Martha slumped down in the passenger seat as she watched Dean walk in. This wasn't exactly what she wanted from the night, but it did seem to be the start of a pretty cool adventure. Her time with Dean seemed quite similar to her time with the Doctor. They were both amazing people, with a lot of love and adventure in their hearts, but things didn't always go their way. It was hard _not_ to love them.

Jack was in the driver's seat. He was inspecting his radioactivity gadget, but put it down to glance over at Martha. "So, what were you two doing when Mara and I crashed your party? Where's the Doctor?"

"The Doctor is off on his own adventure for the moment. Dean and I were just… hanging out."

"Hanging out?" Jack repeated. "Oh, come on, you guys aren't on a _date_ are you?"

"What?" Martha asked, slightly offended. "What's your problem. I can do what I want."

"I didn't say that." Jack was going to say more, but both of their attentions were diverted to the motel room. The curtains were just slightly open – just enough for them to see a sliver of the room from the car. They both shared an embarrassed look, realizing that by looking in, they were eavesdropping. But they both continued to do so, anyway.

Sam was stood near the window, only his his left side visible from the car. Martha had never met Sam, but she had heard quite a lot about him from Dean. Jack had met him only twice, and neither were on particularly happy occasions. They could tell that Sam was angry about something, and could see his lips moving, although they could not hear him speak.

Dean passed by the window once, carrying a laptop. His face was turned away from the window, though, and they could not get a read on his expression.

After a minute of spying, Martha finally sighed, "Come on, we shouldn't be looking. It's none of out business."

Jack didn't say anything, but he did look back down at his device.

Even though Martha wanted to stay out of it, she couldn't help her curiosity. "Why would Sam be so upset? Why is this such a big deal?"

Jack exhaled, slowly. "I don't know Sam very well. I've only seen him a couple times, same as Dean. But I spent more time with Dean. All I know is that Sam doesn't really agree with Dean's decision to go off with the Doctor. He thinks it's dangerous."

Martha couldn't argue with that. "But it's Dean's decision, not Sam's. Why would he care so much?"

"You don't understand how close they are, Martha." Jack shook his head. "I don't even think I do. They've been through a lot, and they stick by each others side. I think this whole Doctor thing… It get's between them a lot."

…

"Dean, this isn't your fight." Sam stood with his arms crossed, watching Dean on his laptop, trying to set up the GPS to track his phone. "We already dealt with Mara. It's up to Jack to find her, now."

"Dude, she had my car. I ain't leaving that to Jack."

Sam rolled his eyes. "You really expect me to believe you're gonna just get your car back and leave? I know you, Dean. This may not be _our_ kind of hunt, but it's a hunt nonetheless. You're not going to stop. You're going to see it all the way through."

"So what? What's so wrong with that?" Dean spat back, angrily, looking up from the screen to his brother. "That's what we do, Sam. That's what Dad taught us to do."

"Dean…" Sam groaned, pressing his fingers to his temples. "You know how I feel about the Doctor-"

"The Doctor isn't even here, Sam!" Dean stood up himself, pointing out the window. "I'm sorry about lying to you about this, Sam, I really am. But you make it impossible for me to tell you the truth about this stuff. You're so against it from the very beginning!" Sam continued glaring, but didn't reply. "This is the one thing I have that is _mine, _Sam. The only thing. And I don't expect you to like it, I don't. I only expect you to let me make my own decisions about _my _life."

"Dean-"

"So if you have a_ real_ reason why I shouldn't go, you better fess up now, because I have the signal and I'm about to leave."

The truth was, Sam was scared. He was scared that Dean was going to get hurt, right when he just got him back. Dean wasn't the same after Hell, that much was obvious. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Dean was _weak_. Not physically, but emotionally. He was scarred from his time in the pit, and Sam couldn't blame him for that. He didn't want his brother out there with practical strangers, fighting against things not even from this planet. He didn't trust the Doctor, _or _his companions, to keep his brother safe. They didn't know him like he knew him.

But there was another reason, too. Sam glanced out the window at the two people in the car. He knew Jack already, but he didn't know the girl. Sam was also scared that Dean would just leave. He wouldn't get hurt out in space, or die, but he would decide on his own terms not to come back. The Doctor could show him so much more than Sam could. He could be there for Dean, without Dean ever having to feel like he was taking care of him. The Doctor would never be a _burden_ to Dean like he had been for so many years.

Or maybe he would run off with Jack, and they'd be some super bounty hunter team. They'd travel the universe, searching out the bad guys. Dean would love that.

Or maybe he'd run off with that girl. Who knows what she could do.

Sam wanted to tell Dean all of this, but he couldn't. He was too angry, and too afraid to. So he said nothing.

Dean waited for a response, but when he got none, he turned around for the laptop. Dean had no idea what Sam was thinking. He didn't know his little brother's fears, and he had no way of figuring them out if Sam stayed silent. If he knew what Sam was afraid of, he would have assured his brother that none of that would happen. Dean loved traveling with the Doctor, but he would never abandon Sam like that, for anything. He had ample opportunity to do so, but every time he turned it down. Dean never considered Sam a burden, and he never would.

But Sam didn't open up, so Dean could not tell him any of that. Instead, he left in silence, leaving Sam alone in the motel room, once again.

_**I started out this chapter, unsure if I could get it to 1,000 words in just one sitting. But by the time I was done, it was over 1,600 words. I can really write a lot about Sam and Dean's relationship. It's the best one on TV to me, because there's so many different parts to it. It's not perfect by any means, but it's dynamic and it's human. **_

_**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did, (or did not,) please review and let me know! Thank you for reading!**_


	65. Self Storage

_**1Sherlockian: I agree! The Doctor meeting Soulless Sam would be **_**amazing****_! I so plan on having a season 6 chapter, probably several. I'm following Dean's time-line rather than the Doctor's, so right now I'm in season 4. But I do plan on going to season 5, 6, 7, etc. I don't have a plan yet on how long I want to make this story, but as long as people are reading, I'll try to keep updating. This is my longest and most popular story, and I want to do cool things with it! Thank you for reading, and for your input!_**

_**And thank you to everyone else who reviewed! I really appreciate it! **_

_**Quick update: I just moved into college yesterday, so things are really hectic over here. To make matters worse, my main computer's CPU fried today, and at least for the time being I can't get to any of my files. That makes this a bit harder, since any chapters I had written partially or in advance were on that computer. So back to square one. Anyway, here's this chapter. I hope you enjoy it, and I look forward to your reviews!**_

Jack pulled up to the self-storage center, where the GPS signal had led them. "She's hanging out here?"

Dean shrugged. "I guess so. Or this is at least where she stashed the car." They all climbed out, looking around the parking lot. There was only one other car in the lot, and it wasn't his beloved Impala. "Well, let's keep following the signal. Maybe she parked it next to her lot."

"You think she really rented out a unit here?" Martha asked. "Why would she do that?"

"Maybe she thought it was safer than renting a hotel room. She only has to wait until her teleporter is ready to use, right?" Jack nodded.

They followed the signal to storage unit 36. Jack motioned for them to be quiet. He didn't want to alert her to their presence if she was, in fact, inside. He tip-toed over to the door, surprised to find the padlock open. That meant either she forgot to lock it when she left, or she was inside right now. Either way, it was good news for Jack. "Ready?" He mouthed to Dean and Martha. They gave a thumbs up.

_One… two… three! _Jack thew up the door, taking out his gun as it opened up. He expected to find her there, standing over her ever growing pile of stolen goods. He was going to arrest her, take her back to the right time, and give her to his employer, along with all that she had stolen from him.

But that was not what happened. He lowered his gun in defeat as the open door exposed an empty room. "What the hell?"

Martha walked inside cautiously, looking down at the floor. Once in the middle of the room, she bent down and picked up the cellphone laying on the ground. "This yours?" She asked Dean, already knowing the answer.

Dean groaned. "She figured it out. She knew we were tracking her. This is a trap, damn it!"

"That, you are correct." Mara's voice had them all spinning around on their heels, Jack raising his weapon. Mara had her own gun out, and was pointing it straight at Dean. Dean held his hands up, taking a step back. "Put down your weapon, Jack, or we'll find out which one of us is the faster shot."

Jack clenched his jaw in anger, but did as she said. "Mara, don't do anything you're going to regret. You're in enough trouble as it is."

"I'm only in trouble if I get caught," Mara smirked. "And I don't think that will be a problem. Not today, anyway."

...

Sam sat on the edge of the hotel bed. His fingers were tightly grasped around a warm beer he had barely touched. He was trying to focus on anything other than his brother, but as usual it proved too difficult. Dean had a way of burrowing into your head like that. He always loved being the center of attention, even when he wasn't even there.

But it was more than that, too. Even if Dean didn't want to believe it, Sam felt the same protectiveness over his brother as he did, and he couldn't help but worry about what Dean was getting himself into. He knew that Dean was pushing him away to protect him, and keep him out of this whole mess. It was just the Winchester way. Always had been, always would be.

He cursed himself for letting Dean go off on his own. In all his anger about his brother lying to him, he hadn't even considered going with him, to make sure he was safe, and not pulling any dumb, Dean-like moves. If he couldn't convince Dean to stay, the next best thing would be to go with him. He felt like an idiot, letting his initial emotion control him like that.

He pulled his laptop up onto his lap and reopened the tab Dean had closed. He made a search for his brother's phone and found the same location Dean had found, earlier, and wrote it down. He shoved the note in his pocket, and took one of the guns. Without a second thought he went to find a car.

...

Mara smirked, knowing she had the three of them right where she wanted. She could kill them all right now and be on her merry way with all the goods she had stolen for Mr. C., her employer.

Her job had been simple: steal the goods and get back to him. When she delivered them, she'd get a check for $5,000,000. However, the more of the items she collected, the less excited she was for the money.

Theses weren't ordinary items she told to get. And they were not easy to come by. Jack wasn't the only agent she had on her trail, although he was the only one who had caught up to her, so far. She was starting to believe she could make a lot more by selling what she got, and dealing with Mr. C's people some later.

But that was all problems for another day. Today, she only had three problems, and they were standing right in front of her.

Problem #1: Jack Harkness. She could kill him now, but whoever he was working for would eventually find out, and send another agent after her. If she was smart, she'd be long gone by then. And this time she wouldn't be so easily tracked.

Problem #2: The girl. She was not as much of a concern to her as the other two, since she had never seen her before. She didn't know if she was a threat or not, but it wasn't a problem to put her down just like Jack.

Problem #3: Dean. She did really like Dean. If she had the choice she wouldn't kill him, but if it came to that she would do what was necessary for her own safety.

"Why don't you step to the side, Dean. Huh? Let me and your _friends_ here have a conversation."

"I don't think so, Mara. Why don't _you _put down the gun, and we can _all_ have a talk." Dean took another slight step forward to block both Martha and Jack as best he could. "We've been through this before, but this time it's not going to end as well for you."

"Look, it's not that I _want_ to shoot you, or your friends. But you have to understand my situation. _You're_ the one who followed little-old-me here, trying to corner me in this storage unit. I have no choice but to protect myself."

"Don't try and paint yourself the victim, Mara." Jack dolled his eyes at her puppy-dog expression. "You've messed with some powerful people, and you knew what you were getting yourself into. It's time to pay the price for that."

Mara sighed. "If you insist." She shot one bullet into Jack's chest, and then turned the gun to Martha, whose eyes widened in panic. She was about to shoot again, until she felt the barrel of a gun against the back of her head.

"Don't move." Sam growled from behind her. "Put the gun on the ground, and kick it away."

"Which one do you want me to do? I can't do both?" Mara's face was calm, but the sound in her voice gave away her agitation at getting caught.

"Put the gun down, or I _will_ shoot."

Mara did as she was told.

Dean and Martha ran to Jack's side. Jack's hand was over the bullet wound, which was bleeding badly, but his eyes were wide open. "Jack! Can you hear me?" Martha went into to doctor-mode, and immediately tried to stop the bleeding.

"Yeah, I can hear you." Jack replied. He tried to sit up, but Martha stopped him. "I don't think she hit anything important. It hurts like hell, though." He groaned.

"We need to get you to a hospital, anyway. Dean?"

Dean nodded. "On it." He got up and set his eyes on Mara. "Where the hell is my car?"

Mara pursed her lips together. "I was told not to move. I don't think I'm allowed to talk to you, either."

"Tell him where his car is." Sam ordered, flatly.

Mara folded her arms. "Fine. It's parked around the back. You'll be happy to know I took good care of it. Not a single scratch on it."

"Thanks," Dean replied, sarcastically. He looked up at Sam. "Thanks for showing up, Sam. I didn't know you were going to follow me."

Sam just shrugged. "Technically I followed your phone, not you. Now hurry up and get your car before Jack bleeds to death, would you?"


	66. Mysteries

_**Hello, everyone! Thank you so much for your continued interest in this story! Please, let me know what you think so far. I really appreciate your input! **_

Jack was going to be okay. The doctor patched him up, and he was able to walk right out of the emergency room – after answering some questions about the bullet wound.

Luckily, he was able to convince her not to call the police by showing them a less-than-legit badge and using a bit of his iconic charm.

Martha had stayed with him during it all, wanting to make sure he was really alright, and to hear what the doctor had to say. Meanwhile, Sam and Dean took Mara back to their hotel room to keep an eye on her as they awaited Jack's return.

"What is Jack going to do with her?" Sam asked, breaking the silence. He and Dean were seated at the table, while Mara was handcuffed to the bed post. She was laying on her side, propped up on her elbow, looking more bored than anything else.

"I don't know. I guess take her back to whoever he's working for."

"Got any idea who that is?" Dean shook his head. "And you're sure we can trust him? Jack, I mean?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

Sam turned to Mara. "So, what exactly did you steal? It must have been pretty high profile."

"Oh, pretty boy, you have no idea." Mara smirked, a hint of her usual glee coming back into her eyes. "It's as high a profile as you could get."

"That doesn't exactly answer my question."

"I'm aware." Her eyes flicked over to Dean. "I guess I won't be seeing you again, Batman. It's a shame, really. I enjoy a good game of cat and mouse."

"Yeah, it's a real shame." Dean rolled his eyes.

Mara pursed her lips at his sarcasm. She turned her head, looking up at the ceiling. "Fine, be that way. I was trying to be nice. After all, I did interpret your little date with that woman."

"Who, Martha?" Sam asked, looking back and forth between them. To Dean, "You were going on a date with her?"

"No! I mean… technically, yeah. Sort of." Dean glared at Mara, who seemed content with Sam's reaction. "We were just hanging out, really."

"I didn't think you did dates." Sam narrowed his eyes. His brother had lied a lot to him recently. Of course, it wasn't like he was being completely honest at the moment, either. "Why didn't you tell me."

"Come on, Sam, let's not do this now."

"Oh, don't mind me. I'm not even paying attention." Mara grinned, turning the other direction. "I'll just lie here, quietly, with my thoughts. Go ahead, have your _girl talk_."

Luckily, a knock on the door brought all of their attention to Jack and Martha, walking in. "Don't worry, I'm good as new."

"How unfortunate. I thought you may have died." Mara frowned, sitting up.

Jack grinned. "Trust me, that wouldn't have stopped me."

"Where are you taking her, exactly?" Sam stood. "Who are you turning her in to?"

Jack glanced over at Dean before answering. "I can't tell you that, Sam. Unfortunately, I'm out of my time right now. I'm from a few years in your future. I can't give away any spoilers."

"Does that mean it has to do with us?"

Jack didn't reply.

"Enough with the chit chat. Let's just get on with it, shall we?" Mara got up from the bed, but couldn't go far due to the cuff. "If we don't hurry, this boredom with kill me before Jack's employers do."

"She's right, we should be going." Jack admitted. "Thank you, all of you, for your help. I needed it."

Jack bent down to hug Martha, and then turned to Dean. Dean stuck his hand out for a shake, which Jack accepted with a wink. "Call me some time, huh? Just in case whatever you've got going on here doesn't work out." Dean's face turned red.

"Oh, stop it." Martha couldn't help but laugh a little at the look on Dean's face.

"Yeah… will do, Jack..." Dean replied, awkwardly.

Jack said his goodbye to Sam as well, before unhooked Mara from the bed. "We have a stop to make first, so come on. Let's go."

With Jack and Mara gone, the room was left with a tense silence as the other three tried to come up with something to say.

"Well, this has been...eventful." Martha finally spoke.

"Sorry it didn't turn out how I planned," Dean apologized, feeling Sam's eyes on him as he tried to avoid eye contact. "Next time will be different."

"So there _is_ a next time?"

"Uh, well.. yeah… if you want."

Martha smiled and leaned up for a kiss. Sam shifted uncomfortably for the duration of the kiss, unsure of what to do with himself. They finally separated, only at the sound of Sam clearing his throat. "Well, the Doctor should be coming back for me anytime, now. I should really be there when he does."

"I'll give you a ride." Dean glanced up at Sam momentarily before ushering Martha out the door.

Just a few moments after they left, there was a knock on the door. "What, back so soon-" Sam stopped mid-sentence as he opened the door. He expected to see Dean, or even Martha, but instead Ruby was standing in his doorway. "Oh, Ruby."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Well. Quite the welcome, Sammy. Are you gonna move so I can come in, or what?"

Sam took a step to the side and she brushed past him. "You can't be here long. Dean will be back soon."

"Oh, please. I saw him walk out of here with that girl. Knowing him, he'll be out for while."

"Except you don't really know him, do you?" Sam replied, closing the door. "What are you doing here?"

Ruby's lips curled upward. "What, I can't just come and see you?"

"No, not really. Not now that Dean is here. You know he can't see you."

"I thought you were going to tell him. Oh, wait, that's right. _Not yet. When the time is right._ Silly me, I forgot."

Sam let out a harsh sigh. "Look, Ruby, I have a lot on my plate right now. Dean keeps running off with the Doctor, and it's really-"

"Wait, what?" Ruby interrupted him. "Did you just say the Doctor? Like, _the _Doctor?"

Sam narrowed his eyes. "Uh, yeah. Why, do you know about him?"

Ruby stepped closer to him. "Know about him? Yeah, I've fucking heard of him. You'd have to be seriously in the dark not to."

"Well I'm seriously in the dark. Mind filling me in?" Sam could feel his heart sinking as Ruby spoke. If she knew about him, and had _that_ reaction to his name, he must have been worse news than he originally thought. "Ruby, is Dean in danger?"

Ruby pursed her lips, looking him up and down. Finally, she leaned forward and spoke. "Incredibly."

Sam clenched his jaw. "Tell me."


	67. You Mad, Bro?

_**Snowdragon23: Thank you so much for your review! I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far, even if you only watch one of the two shows!**_

_**If you want to watch Supernatural, it is obviously something I would suggest. If you are worried about your age, Netflix rates it okay for kids 14 and up. That's mostly for violence, though, and some sexual themes and language. I would think it's fine for someone your age, but it's totally up to you. Thank you for reading, and enjoy! **_

"That's crazy, Sam. Seriously, lay off of it, would you?" Dean immediately brushed off his accusations about the Doctor. Sam had always been overly judgmental of the Doctor. He couldn't get his head around the fact that maybe the Doctor was just a good guy. It was rare, yeah, but it happened sometimes. So when Dean returns from dropping of Martha, and Sam starts going off, he can't take him seriously.

"It's not crazy, Dean! It's true! Look!" Sam shoved the papers into Dean's chest. Dozens of papers from people who had claimed to come in contact with the Doctor throughout the years. Documented cases going back hundreds of years. Ruby had told him about all the disasters and incidents the Doctor had been linked to. Some of them were on the web, but some of them weren't as easy to find. Ruby, however, said she knew quite a few demons who had come in contact with the Doctor.

Sam told Dean he learned all of this from a hunter he had met during Dean's months in Hell.

Dean snatched the paper's and glanced over them. "Sam, these aren't even close to being legit! These are all from crazy people still living in their parents basements. You don't know if any of these, let alone all of them, are true."

'You don't know they aren't! Come on, Dean. You of all people know that sometimes, it's the ones people think are crazy that are actually right all along!"

"And you of all people should know that we can't just trust any source." Dean threw the papers in a pile on the table. "Look, Sam, you don't know the Doctor. I understand your misplaced suspicion. But I know him. I've known him for almost my entire life. I know I can trust him."

Sam's jaw clenched. "Why can't you trust me?" He didn't mean for it to come out quite as whiny as it did. He felt and sounded like his twelve year old self, suddenly. Of course, when he was twelve, and feeling this way, Dean would sit down with him on his bed and wrap his arm around him. Sam would bury his face in his brother's shirt, and he'd feel safe.

But eventually he outgrew all that. Eventually he stopped coming to Dean when he was upset. He wished he never had done that. He wished his teenager self hadn't pushed Dean away so heavily. Because if he hadn't, they may still have the same relationship now that they had back then. If they did, maybe he could do that right now. Sit down beside Dean, and let it out. Tell him his fears, and explain his frustrations. Then, maybe, everything would be alright.

But no. Stupid 14 year old Sam was just too good for his big brother's comfort, and now he was stuck in this situation.

"I _do_ trust you, Sam!" Dean sighed. He could feel Sam pushing him away again. He could feel him drawing the line in the sand again. Trying to separate them. "I do. But you have to trust me on this."

Sam wanted to, more than anything. But he just couldn't. Not now. Not about this. He shook his head, but otherwise remained silent. "I'm sorry, Dean. I can't."

Dean nodded, staring down at the ground. "Fine. Don't. But that still doesn't give you the right to interfere with _my_ personal life. Who I chose to go with is my decision. If I trust the Doctor, you can't change that."

"I'll prove it to you, Dean." Sam promised. "I will." He just hoped his wouldn't be too late.

"Yeah, you do that. I'm going for a drink." Dean slammed the door on the way out, hoping Sam didn't catch a glimpse of his watery eyes as he left.

Sam did not.

Dean started up the engine of the Impala, but didn't move the car. He stared at the steering wheel for a few moments before lifting his hands, and slamming them down on it. Over and over and over. When he got it out of his system, he picked up his phone. He glanced up at the motel window briefly before making his call.

The phone rang three times before someone answered. "Hello? Dean?"

"Doctor," Dean started, clearing his throat. He wedged the phone between his shoulder and cheek, using his now free hands to steer the car out of the parking lot. "Hey. Which version of the Doctor are you, right now?"

'I'm not sure I can really answer that,"

"Oh, right. So, are you busy?"

"I can be wherever you are in just a moment."

Dean smiled. He knew it was the answer he was going to get. "Okay, if you give me a sec I can get you coordinates, Doc."

…

The TARDIS landed behind Dean, who was standing in an alley way behind some Chinese Restaurant. Dean waited patiently for the Doctor and whoever he was with to step out of it. When the door finally opened, he was more than pleased to see Rose Tyler's face popping out from behind it. "Dean!"

"Hey, Rose!" Dean went forward to accept her hug. "Wow, you don't look any different. When was the last time you saw me?"

"Not that long ago for me. But wow, you are so much older!" The last time she had seen Dean, he was only a teenager, and was taken by the Cybermen. Now he must have been older than her. "You've really grown up, huh?"

Dean shrugged, feeling a little embarrassed. "I guess you could say that."

"Dean!" The Doctor came out to greet him as well. He was smiling brighter than Dean had seen in a while. He had forgotten just how relentlessly happy the Doctor used to be, when he was traveling with Rose. It wasn't like his more recent versions walked around depressed or anything. But there was a noticeable difference that he could not deny. "Wow, you've gotten tall!"

"So I've heard. You should see Sam. He's four inches taller than me!" Dean immediately regretted mentioning his younger brother. He didn't mean to steer the conversation towards him. Not right now.

He didn't want to talk about his brother. He didn't want to argue with him either. He just wanted to make sure that he truly could trust the Doctor. He wanted to make sure that his trust in him was not misplaced, as Sam says it is. He wanted to make sure that all those people on the internet were just wackjobs who didn't understand what Dean understood. He wanted to be assured that he was making the right decision.

"How is your brother? Is he around?"

"Uh, yeah, but he's kinda busy right now. I just figured we could, I don't know… hang out or something."

"Of course! Did you have in mind where you'd like to go?"

Dean thought for a moment, about his brother, and about all that had happened recently. "Far, far away."


	68. Different Kinds of Fear

_**Sorry for the wait, guys! I appreciate the reviews! Enjoy!**_

These trips were unlike the other trips he had with the man. This early version of the Doctor was much more fun, much more carefree. Dean could tell how much he loved Rose. He could see it in his eyes whenever he looked at her. He could hear it in his voice whenever he spoke to her, or about her.

He felt bad that he already knew the ending to this story. He didn't know how it happened, exactly, but he knew that it wouldn't last. Rose would be gone, permanently, and would be replaced with Martha, then Donna, and somewhere along the line there would be Amy and Rory. Of course, they wouldn't really be replacements. Just new companions for the long, lonely trip ahead of him.

And there would be more of Dean along the way, as well.

Sam stopped mentioning the Doctor, and Dean was thankful. But he knew that Sam was still looking into it, trying to prove his theory. Dean knew that was all it was, though, a theory. And he knew that Sam would never be able to prove it, no matter how hard he tried. He was wrong, and that was that.

Things were actually going okay for Dean, that was, until Alistair.

Dean's run in with Alistair, and the subsequent tortures, were too much for him to handle. Suddenly, it was like he was fresh back from Hell, again. He had nightmares, and would wake up terrified almost every night, not being able to go back to sleep.

The next time the Doctor called, offering up a new adventure, he declined. He just couldn't find it within himself to go. He realized he couldn't keep pretending. The Doctor, the TARDIS, the universe – that wasn't_ his_ life, and he couldn't keep acting like it was any more.

Sam was wrong about the Doctor. The Doctor wasn't dangerous, and he wasn't evil. Dean shouldn't fear him, not at all. It was _the Doctor_ who should fear _Dean_. If the Time Lord knew what he had done... He wouldn't want him on the TARDIS, anyway.

So Dean kept his distance. He let go of the Doctor the best he could, but it wasn't easy. He made up excuses as go why he couldn't join them over and over, until finally the Doctor stopped calling. His relationship with Sam was still strained, and it wasn't getting much better. His brother was more and more aloof. It didn't help that Cas warned him to be wary of Sam.

And then it happened.

His brother. Ruby. Demon blood. It was all too much.

He could hear Sam screaming from the panic room, begging to be let out. His little brother, yelling for _him_. There was a time when Dean would rather die than ignore his brother's cries. But things were different now. Sam was different. And really, so was Dean.

"Look, I know you hate me for suggesting it. I hate me for suggesting it. I love that boy like a son. All I'm saying is maybe he's here right now instead of on the battlefield because we love him too much."

Dean stepped outside of Bobby's house, walking down the few steps. He just had to be out of the house, just for a little while. He needed to clear his head, and think about what he was doing.

What if Bobby was right? What if they were killing Sam when they didn't have to? What if there was some other way to cure him, that didn't put him through such pain?

Dean was at a loss, and he didn't know who to turn to. He knew Bobby's advice, but Bobby was too close to Sam to make a clear decision, just like Dean. He needed someone who could look at the situation and make a decision not clouded by emotion. He knew of one person he could call, but...

Dean took out his phone and stared at his contact list. He scrolled down and clicked on the name. He paused for a couple more beats before calling.

...

Dean sounded very, very bad. The Doctor knew that whatever was upsetting him must have been serious. "Where are you? When are you? I'll be right there."

He thought it would be best to leave Donna behind for this trip. It wasn't that she couldn't be of service, but it seemed like Dean didn't want too many people there. This seemed much more personal.

Dean gave him his location and year, and the Doctor quickly input it into the system. "I'll be there soon." He ran his hand over the console. "You here that, old girl? We're going to see Dean. He needs us."

Dean held his head in his hands until he hears the sound of the TARDIS landing. He watched it fade into existence just a few feet from him. He stood, waiting for the doors to open.

The Doctor stepped out of his ship, and saw Dean immediately. As soon as he did, he could see the dead look in his eyes, and the defeat in his stance. He hadn't seen him like this in a long time. Instead of saying anything, the Doctor simply gestured for him to enter the TARDIS.

Dean was never good with his words, and he wished he could explain, in that moment, the gratefulness he felt towards the man who flew who knows how far at the drop of a hat, simply because he asked. Without any information or prodding, the Doctor came because he knew that Dean needed him.

It was something his father never did. It was something that Sam always fell short at. It was something that Dean had only had small glimpses of, from people like Bobby and Ellen. But the Doctor was different. He always was.

Dean walked into the TARDIS once again, which made him feel just a tiny bit better. It was hard to feel _that _bad when you were on this ship.

"Thanks for comin', Doc. I didn't know if you'd be busy, or..."

"Nonsense, Dean. You called, of course I'm showing up." He smiled. "At least this time I showed up on time."

Dean laughed, but his face quickly became serious again. "So... I'm in some deep shit, Doc. It ain't lookin' pretty."

"So I thought. What's the matter, Dean? What happened?"

Dean exhaled slowly. "Well... It wasn't really me, I guess. But it was. I don't know... All I do know, is that Sam... Sammy's got himself into trouble. He got into some bad shit while I was 6 feet under."

"What did he do?"

Dean closed his eyes. "He, uh... You know about what happened when he was a baby, right? When he... infected Sam?" The Doctor nodded. "Well, apparently since Sam had that demon blood in him, he developed... Some weird demonic addiction to it. All thanks to that stupid bitch Ruby."

The Doctor didn't really know how to take that information, so instead of attempting to wrap his mind around demonic blood, he asked, "Where is Sam, now?"

"He's in Bobby's panic room. We sort of locked him in there. We're trying to... sober him up, you know? But I don't know if its going to work or if its just gonna..." Dean let his words trail off. The Doctor knew what he meant.

"Let me see him."

"I don't know if he'll want to-"

"Dean. Trust me."

Dean sighed. He couldn't say no to that.


	69. Master of My Fate

**Shadowcat444: I don't know exactly what episodes or variations of the Doctor I'm going to include, yet. I suppose it really depends on how long I end up going with this fic. The longer it goes, the more I can include. I do remember the episodes you mentioned, but (unlike this one) I rarely write a chapter within a specific episode of either show. Usually in order to remain within canon, I write what happens in between episodes, although this one is a special case. However, if people like this as much/more, I may write more like it.**

**Actually, if anyone has anything that they specifically would like to see (ie, the episode where the TARDIS gets her own body) I'd be happy to try and form a chapter or so around that. Just keep in mind that I am trying to keep it canonically possible, so I can't do anything to alter the stories already told by the Supernatural and Doctor Who writers.**

**One last thing: The Christmas special is definitely something I may use in this story, however I won't use much after it. I haven't been keeping up with Doctor Who, so I haven't seen any episodes of the new 12th Doctor. So, before you ask, you won't be seeing anyone after Matt Smith in this story. Sorry!**

"Hey, Bobby."

Bobby glanced up from his glass of whiskey and saw Dean walking into the room, with another man behind him. "Dean. Who's your friend."

"This is the Doctor. He's an old friend."

"What kind of Doctor?" Bobby inquired, ignoring the obvious question of why he was here. Maybe he could do something to help Sam.

"Not the kind you're thinking of." The Doctor answered, honestly. He knew the kind that Bobby was hoping for, and he could see the look of disappointment on the man's face. He had met Bobby before, and he truly adored him, but it was clear that this was Bobby's first meeting with him. He walked up to the old hunter and stuck out his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Singer. I've heard a lot about you from Dean."

Bobby narrowed his eyes, but shook his hand, anyway. The hunter in him was telling him to be suspicious, but the paternal part of him, however buried it may have been, told him to trust Dean's instincts. "I can't say the same about you." He looked to Dean. "You're an old friend?"

Dean nodded. "He's, um... Well he's not totally human. Its a long story." He added, at Bobby's reaction. "He's here to see Sam."

Bobby let out a slightly-annoyed sigh. Not human? The boys were always getting mixed in with the worst of them. But hey, maybe Dean was right. Maybe he could be trusted. "I guess its a story for another day, then." His eyes met the Doctor's. "You think you can help the boy?"

The Doctor was almost surprised by the cold sobriety in his eyes. He wished he could give Bobby a more positive answer, but he couldn't lie to him. "Honestly, I don't know. But I'm much older than you think. Maybe I can talk to him."

Bobby nodded. "He's a good kid, Doctor… whoever. I know he's done a lot of bad, recently, but... That's not him. Not really. I swear to you."

"I know." The Doctor assured him.

Dean led the Doctor down to the panic room, but the Doctor stopped them just short of the door. "You should go back to Bobby. I'd like to talk to him alone, if you don't mind."

Dean looked hesitant, but after a moment he nodded. "He won't listen to me anyway."

The Doctor, now alone, walked up to the panic room's door. He glanced inside, looking the room up and down. The odd markings on the walls, and the fan blades spinning slowly above the room, and the shackled bed in the middle truly put the Doctor on edge. But if Bobby was the one who built this place, it must be safe.

He could see Sam strapped to the bed in the center. He looked beaten and exhausted. It almost hurt to see him like that. He laid out, staring at the ceiling, breathing heavily. "Sam?"

Sam seemed to hear him, and strained against his binds to look at the door. The Doctor glanced down and found the lock on the door. He slid it to the side, and pulled the door open. "Doctor? What are you doing here?"

"Your brother called me. He told me about your situation." The Doctor stood at the end of the bed. Now up closer, Sam looked even worse. His eyes were dark and sunken, his wrists turning red beneath the handcuffs keeping him attached. The Doctor wondered what he could have done to make them keep him like this. Sam stared at him for a moment, eventually laying his head back down and closing his eyes.

"You're not real. You're not really here, I know that."

"No, I am. I promise you, Sam, I'm as real as it gets." The Doctor felt his stomach twist as Sam shook his head. The kid was really out of it. He was losing his grip on reality, and fast. "Your brother tells me you made some mistakes while he was away."

"No, I didn't..." Sam exhaled sharply, obviously annoyed. "I did what I had to, Doctor. You don't understand..." Sam closed his eyes, fighting back tears. He was so tired, and the Doctors presence—real or not—was not helping. "He was _gone_, okay? My brother... I thought I'd never see him again. You don't know what that felt like."

"Oh, I do know." The Doctor put his hands in his pockets as he paced slowly back and forth. "You know how old I am. I've outlived plenty of people. I've lost a lot."

"But you can go back," Sam argued. "You can go back in time and see them whenever you want."

The Doctor shook his head. "Its not that simple. There are rules."

"Like you care."

The Doctor sighed. "Sam, I know you think you're doing the right thing... But trust me when I tell you that you're not."

"How would you know?"

"You don't have to listen to me. By all means, do your own thing. The universe knows I've been wrong before. But the least you could do is listen to your brother."

"He's not the same.. " Sam spoke quietly, apparently ignoring the rest of what the Doctor said. "He's been different ever since he came back from Hell."

"Well, I've never been to Hell but I would assume it does that to people."

"He's weak, Doctor. He doesn't know what he's doing. _I_ do. And I know it seems bad but... I _need_ that blood. It makes me stronger. And I need to be stronger to _win_."

The Doctor was silent for a while, and so was Sam. Sam was still sure that the Doctor was just another one of his hallucinations—just like his mom, and his younger self. Each one was trying to convince him to pick a side—his, or Dean's. And of course the Doctor would come to Dean's aid.

And maybe at another time he would listen. Maybe at another time Sam could be convinced... But right now all he could think about was the blood. He was going through withdrawal, and he needed it desperately. He felt like he was _dying_, and there was only one thing that could fix it.

"I know we haven't always seen eye to eye," The Doctor continued, suddenly, bringing Sam back from his thoughts. "But we do have one thing in common. Dean. And I know you wouldn't do anything to purposefully hurt him, but... You are. Right now. He needs you. And he needs you to be strong. Not the kind of 'strong' the blood makes you feel. You need to fight this, and you need to fight along side your brother—not against him."

Sam did not respond, and after a while, the Doctor left. He didn't feel like he had done much, but he hoped that Sam would remember what he said. He hoped he would listen to him—for Dean's sake, and for the sake of the world.

As the Doctor was climbing the stairs up to the main house, he heard something from the panic room. He turned and walked down a few steps until he could see Castiel near the door. The angel had his hand out, and was concentrating on something. "Castiel?" The Doctor whispered, confused.

The angels head snapped towards him, a finger slowly going up to his lips, signaling him to be quiet. The Doctor looked around him, unsure of what to do, and by the time he looked back, Castiel was gone.

"Doctor." The Doctor jumped and turned around, finding the angel standing behind him.

"What are you doing-"

Castiel reached for the Doctors arm, and the moment they touched, the Doctor felt sick. He blinked a few times, and realized they were now outside of the house, beside his TARDIS. Castiel was beside him, looking as stoic as ever.

"Castiel, what are you doing here? What were you doing beside the panic room?"

Castiel's eyes would not meet the Doctor's. He seemed to stare past him, instead. "I'm doing what needs to be done. I'm keeping God's plan on it's tracks. And keeping _you_ from knocking it off."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"You, trying to change Sam Winchester's mind. You are trying to change his fate."

The Doctor swallowed. "So, what? Maybe I do change his mind, and maybe that changes the future that you angels planned out for him. But it's the _wrong_ future."

He expected the angel to argue with him, but instead Castiel just seemed strained. His eyes flickered down to the ground, as he considered the Doctor's words. "Doctor… I don't know what the best outcome is here, but I do know the right one. And I'm… I'm trying to get us there."

The Doctor stared at him, worriedly. He could tell Castiel did not believe his own words.  
"Castiel, please listen to me. We can-"

"I'm sorry, Doctor." Castiel interrupted him, pressing his fingers on the Doctor's forehead.

The Doctor could feel his body being moved, and before he knew it, he was in the hallway, facing Dean and Bobby.

Both men turned to look at him. "Did you talk to him?"

The Doctor took a moment to understand what was happening, but once he realized Castiel had dumped him here, he replied, "Uhm… yes, I did. I don't know if it did anything, though. Only time will tell."

Both Dean and Bobby looked disappointing, but not surprised. "Well, thanks, anyway, Doc. I guess we'll… figure it out ourselves."

The Doctor wondered if he should warn them about whatever Castiel had done, but he figured he thought back to Castiel's face as he contemplated his own actions, and decided he shouldn't interfere. Not this time. He had to give Castiel a chance to make things right. Because he knew Castiel from previous visits, and he was not the same as he was now. He needed to realize his own place in the universe, much like how the Doctor had to realize his place in Dean's life. He could not control things. Maybe he had to let things go.

"Are you going to be okay, Dean? Should I stay?"

Dean glanced at Bobby, and then towards the doorway, before shaking his head. "No, it's okay. I appreciate you coming all the way here, Doctor. I really… really do."

The Doctor nodded. "I know. Don't hesitate to call. I'll hear from you, soon."

Meanwhile, Castiel stood outside the panic room, wondering if he should finish what he started. Should he do what he knew Heaven wanted, and let Sam Winchester out? Should he let Sam complete his mission, and release Lucifer from the pits of Hell, as the scripture says?

Or should he do what the Doctor asked, and what he knew Dean would want? Should he allow Dean to hold his brother here, and keep him from killing Lilith?

After a while he heard the sound of the TARDIS departing, and knew the Doctor was gone. Castiel shook his head. He couldn't let the Doctor dictate his actions. He had to do what he knew was right. Even if he didn't _know_. It was what God wanted of him, so how could it be wrong? 


	70. The Time Lord and the Angel of the Lord

_**I'm pretty excited about this chapter. I was really in a writing mood, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. So I hope you like it, too.**_

_**Thanks for the reviews, guys! Specifically **_**Akayuki Novak, **_**who **_**always**_** leaves a lovely message, **_**Shadowcat444, **_**and **_**snowdragon23**_**. **_**I**_** love hearing your feedback! It's so cool to see your guys' perceptive on what I wrote. And believe me, it influences how I write a lot. Enjoy!**_

Castiel released Sam Winchester.

Sam Winchester killed Lilith.

Lucifer was set free.

The Doctor did what he could to convince both Sam and Castiel that they were on the wrong path, but he failed. Both of them fell straight into the trap, and together they opened up Lucifer's cage. Ruby was dead, Castiel was cut off from Heaven, and the Devil was up and kicking. Things were not looking up for the Winchester's.

For the first time in what felt like years to the boys, they were on the same side again. The Angel's and the Demon's were both against them this time around, and all odds were set against them. But Sam and Dean were not the only one's who felt like it was them versus the world.

Castiel had made a lot of mistakes, and he knew it. He trusted the angel's and they lied to him. They deceived him into believing that God was still here, that he had a plan for the world. But in reality, the plans that he himself had helped set in motion were nothing more than the work of some power-hungry angels looking to gain from God's apparent absence.

Castiel had been so wrapped up in fate and plans, and suddenly they were all gone. Suddenly, he was no longer following God, he was following the Winchesters. But the Winchesters didn't have a plan, they didn't even pretend to. They just made it up as they went, and Castiel knew it was going to be hard getting used to that.

He was cut off from Heaven. His decision to send Dean to Sam had been a hard one. He rebelled against everything he had ever known, and left it all up to Dean. But Dean had failed. And now he had rebelled against his brothers and sisters, and the Apocalypse was still looming. Lucifer was still walking among them, planning his epic battle against Micheal, and then the damnation of the world.

Castiel was having a hard time adjusting to this new life. He desperately needed some kind of sign, some kind of assurance that he was doing the right thing, but he didn't know how to go about finding that. He knew that if he asked Dean or Sam they would tell him, but they weren't exactly the most unbiased.

A month ago, Dean had given Castiel a prepaid cell phone. Castiel knew how to handle it, mostly, but it still confused him. Dean had also programmed in four numbers: Dean's, Sam's, Bobby's, and the Doctor's. Castiel flipped open his phone and stared down at the screen.

He clicked on the Doctor's name, and pressed call. He held the phone up to his ear, waiting for the call to connect. He didn't quite understand the technology behind this phone call to space, but it did impress him. After a few seconds he heard a voice over the speaker. "Hello?"

Castiel cleared his throat. "Uhm. Doctor? This is Castiel, the angel."

"Yes, I know who you are. What's wrong?"

"I need... assistance with something. Would you be able to see me?"

There was a pause, followed by, "Of course. Just tell me where you are."

Castiel scanned around him. "It's best not to meet here. Go to the hotel the Winchesters are staying at. But don't go inside." Castiel gave him the date and the information for the hotel, and then promptly went there himself.

The Doctor was waiting for him. His hands were in the pockets of his coat as he leaned against the Impala. He was looking towards the room the boys were staying at. It was late at night, getting close to 3 A.M, and they were more than likely asleep.

"Thank you for coming, Doctor."

The Doctor just shrugged. He didn't take his eyes off the room. "I can always take time to come see the Winchester's. And you do seem to be one of them, now."

"I'm not, really." Castiel glanced at the door as well. "The Winchester's are... I don't understand them completely yet. I've been alive for a very long time, but it wasn't until I met them that I realized I truly know so little about the world."

"They have that effect on people." The Doctor agreed, smiling. He finally looked at the angel. "So what did you call me for? You said you needed assistance."

"It's more... guidance that I need. I've made some... decisions recently that have had major consequences."

"You mean rebelling against the other angels?"

Castiel nodded. "I did what I thought was right. I had been... betrayed by my brothers, and I thought I could help Dean save his own brother."

"Then what's the problem?"

Castiel sighed. "I want to trust them. I want to know that I've done the right things, but... There's no way to know until it's too late."

"Look, I know it's difficult to listen the boys sometimes, but trust me... It's the right choice." Castiel didn't seem convinced. "I've spent a long time with Dean, at least. I've known him for his whole life. He's a good man, and he is only trying to do good. If you're going to believe in anybody, you should believe in him."

"I know he has a good heart, but… he's led a rough life. And he's done bad, as well. I'm the one who found him in Hell, where he tortured souls for enjoyment. I know that's not really _him_, but..." Castiel shook his head. "This concept is foreign to me. I've only ever judged people solely on their actions. Looking into their hearts is a very human idea. It makes things difficult."

The Doctor didn't reply right away. He looked off to the side, obviously considering something. "I have an idea. Come with me."

"Where?"

"Have you been on my ship, yet?" Castiel shook his head. He knew all about the TARDIS, but he had yet to step onto it. The Doctor grinned. "Good. Follow me, then."

The Doctor began to leave, and Castiel followed close behind. "What did you want to show me, Doctor?"

"I'm going to show you Dean." He said, vaguely.

"What do you mean? Is he not in the motel?"

"No, he is. But I'm going to show you something else. I'm going to help you _understand_ him." When the arrived at the TARDIS's door, the Doctor opened it, but motioned for Castiel to enter first. He watched the angel's face as he took in the surroundings. "You like it?"

"I do. I… I can feel it's presence, the TARDIS."

"As can I. She feels magnificent, doesn't she?" Castiel agreed. The Doctor walked up to the console and gazed upon it with affection. "She's taken quite the liking to Dean."

"She should have. He was the first living creature to make contact with her." Castiel recalled back to when he had dragged the Doctor and Dean to Gallifrey in the first place.

"He was. I've never seen her make a connection with someone like that, other than, well, myself."

"Where are we going?" Castiel changed the subject.

"You'll see."

_**I have some exciting news! If any of you have read one of my other stories, **_**Dead Already**_**, you already know it's a **_**Supernatural**_** AU based during the zombie apocalypse. It was the first big story I ever wrote, with 44 chapters and **__**59,533**____**words! I never thought that anyone would want to read my little head-cannons and AU's before I wrote that one, and seeing people enjoy it inspired me to write this story.**_

_**I have recently submitted **_**Dead Already**_** to a Fanfiction Contest on . If you have already read it, I would really appreciate if you could go vote for it at **_ stories/25870_** ! If you haven't read it, I encourage you to try it out! Thank you guys so much for your support, you really are the best!**_


	71. Part 1 of 3

Castiel stepped out of the TARDIS and took a look around. The Doctor must have taken them quite a ways back in time by the look of the place. It wasn't such a big chunk of time to Castiel, of course, being thousands and thousands of years old, but he imagined a human like Dean would have been quite shocked by the time skip. As an angel, Castiel could travel through time himself, but it took a lot of energy and power in order to do so. Traveling in the TARDIS was as refreshing as it was intriguing to him.

The Doctor stepped off after him, practically hopping to his feet. Standing side by side, any stranger who passed by them could instantly point out the differences between the two. The Doctor's demeanor resembled a child starring up at the gates to Disney World for the first time. His lips were curled up into a smile he couldn't hide even if he wanted to. His hands were in his jacket pockets, which would typically mean someone was wary or uncomfortable, yet the Doctor was quite the opposite. He was bouncy and full of energy, ready for whatever laid ahead. Castiel, on the other hand, stood still and rigid. His face was impassive at best. Although beneath the surface he was curious about what the Doctor had to show him, he didn't show it at all.

But what any stranger could not tell you, is that they were actually quite similar. There were the obvious similarities; they were both very, very old, and not exactly accustomed to all the human mannerisms and idiosyncrasies. But there were other things, to. They were both loyal to a fault. They were both leaders. They were both as stubborn as Hell. And at the end of the day, no matter how many mistakes they had made in the past, they would make the right decisions, because that was just who they were.

"What year is this, Doctor?" Castiel asked.

"Oh, well, let's see. It should be 1983 if all went according to plan."

"1983? Why?"

"There are three things you have to know about Dean Winchester," The Doctor explained as Castiel followed him down a few blocks down the street. "And this is one of them." The pair didn't stop until they came up on a small neighborhood park. Castiel could hear the children from a several yards away, yelling and laughing. They stood across the street from the park, just close enough to see what was going on. "Recognize anyone?"

Castiel narrowed his eyes and scanned the playground. Eventually, he stopped on a little boy at the top of the slide. Castiel never saw the Winchester's as children – that was never his department – but when he saw the boy's face, he recognized him right away. "That's Dean? As a child?"

The Doctor nodded. "Yes it is. He should be about four years old, now. This is close to the time I met him."

Castiel watched Dean at the top of the slide, hesitantly preparing himself to go down. He supposed that to a kid as small as Dean, going down that slide may seem like quite the challenge. Human's did have an innate fear of heights, after all.

Looking at him now, it was hard to imagine that he would one day be the Righteous Man. That somehow, this small kid would grow up to kill monsters. He would sell his soul, go to Hell, and come back again. Right now he seemed so small, so innocent. Castiel would never see Dean that way again.

Castiel noticed Dean kept looking down at someone on the bench and yelling something. He followed the boy's gaze until he saw a young blonde woman with a baby in her arms. He recognized her as Mary Winchester.

Mary was smiling, motioning to her son for him to slide down and come to her. After a few moments he had apparently worked up enough courage, and slid down. He ran over to her, where she held up her hand for a high five.

Castiel couldn't hear what she was saying, but he could see her placing the baby that must have been Sam into his stroller, and then bringing Dean over to him. Once Sam was secure, and Dean was hovering over him, she left. She walked across the street to the nearest payphone, which was not far from where Castiel and the Doctor stood.

"Look at him, Castiel." The Doctor pointed to the boys at the park. Dean was standing over his brother, playing with him and making him giggle. "Even now, before they were exposed to the supernatural, they had a strong bond. Even now, they still needed each other."

"I don't understand your point."

"This is the number one thing about Dean. He loves his brother. That is his number one priority, and always has been." Castiel looked away. It wasn't like that wasn't already obvious. But the Doctor continued. "If you want to trust someone, you have to understand where they are coming from. You have to understand Dean. He's a family man. That's what he truly cares about."

"I've seen him with Sam. This isn't news to me."

The Doctor smiled. "Do you think Sam trusts him?"

"I do."

"And why is that?"

Castiel did not appreciate being talked to like a child, but answered anyway. "I don't know."

"Because he knows Dean would do anything for him, because they're family. And you, Castiel, are on your way to being part of his little family. Whether you like it or not."

The Doctor normally was not supposed to use his "insider knowledge" of the future to guide people of the past, but he thought it was necessary in this case. Castiel was having a hard time trusting the Winchester's because he had no idea how close they would eventually become. The Doctor wished that he could just show the angel a few years down the road so that he could see that relationship for himself, but instead he would just have to settle with showing him that past.

"I'm not his family, Doctor. We're not even the same species."

"You really think he cares?" The Doctor couldn't help but roll his eyes. "I can assure you he doesn't. He's been th-. You know what, that's the second thing I need to show you. Come on, let's get back to the TARDIS."

The Doctor turned immediately to head back. Castiel was about to follow, but his attention was grasped by Mary's conversation on the payphone. She was a few feet away, but he could still hear her pretty well without the Doctor talking over her.

"John, no. You know you can't- John, listen to me. You're being ridiculous! Your boy's need you, here, now. I can't do this by myself, you know… John would you stop talking for just one second an-"

"You coming, Castiel?" The Doctor called back to him. Castiel nodded, and took one last glance at Mary before following him to the ship.

_**I like the idea of the Doctor and Castiel hanging out together. They're both so old, but not so wise, and kind-hearted. They really have a lot of similarities, especially when it comes to their relationship with Dean. I think they would get together sometimes and talk about the boys. Neither of them quite understand the Winchesters, but they love them, anyway.**_

_**As to snowdragon23, I apologize for the typos. I try to keep these as grammatically correct as possible, and I try to check my spelling before sending these out, but sometimes I slip up. Also, I am really bad with apostrophes, I can't even pretend otherwise. Thanks for letting me know, though!**_

_**And, of course, thank you to **_**Akayuki Novak **_**and**_** ShadowCat444 **_**for your interest and thoughts on the chapter. I'm glad you're enjoying it.**_


	72. Part 2 of 3

_**Thank you to **_**Akayuki Novak, philster401, lionkingd15**_**, and **_**snowdragon23**_** for your reviews. Also, a big, big thanks to **_**lionkingd15 **_**who was the beta reader for this chapter, and for many more to come.**_

_**Just as a warning, this chapter is a little… darker than the other ones. I try to keep this story pretty clean, unlike most of the other's. This is just a little warning because it uses more language than I usually do, and it has some darker themes. I don't think it's that big of a deal, and nothing really happens, I just wanted to point it out before, just in case, so that if you start to feel like you are uncomfortable about where this is going, you know beforehand.**_

* * *

The Doctor wondered if he was crossing a line, here.

Relationships were built on being honest with each other. The deepest friends were those who knew almost too much about the other. Dean didn't divulge information all that often, especially personal stuff, so it was hard for people to make that connection with Dean. The Doctor thought that was really a shame, because Dean was a wonderful person to know, and it was an honor to have a connection with him.

In order to build trust between them, Castiel needed to know more about Dean's life, which was the point of taking him to that park. But that wasn't enough. Sure, it was a good example, but it was clear already how much Dean cared for Sam. He needed something more. Something more personal. The question was what to show him?

And therein lied the problem. The only way to show Castiel something that personal, he had to show him something that Dean probably wouldn't want to tell him about. And the Doctor knew just the thing.

Once, a long time ago, a much younger Dean told him a story from when he was a kid. It wasn't a good story, not in the least. It was something he hadn't even told Sam. He told him this a long time ago, but if the Doctor had to guess, he'd say that was still the case.

It would be a good example of the number two thing about Dean Winchester, but there was a problem with showing it to Castiel. Dean made the Doctor swear not to tell anyone – especially Sam. The kid had trusted the Doctor to keep quiet about it, much to the Doctor's dismay. But it hadn't been an issue until now.

He plugged in the coordinates and the date, all the while the voice in his head telling him not to do it. Dean had trusted him, after all, and that meant a lot. Here he was, going on about loyalty and honesty, and at the same time he was breaking a promise to Dean. He knew it was for his own good, and that convincing Castiel to trust Dean now would help everyone later on, but it was still hard.

The TARDIS came to a halt, and the Doctor opened the door.

"Where are we now?"

The Doctor frowned. This was his last chance to turn back. He probably would have, too. It would have been easy to tell Castiel they had landed in the wrong year. He could change up the venue a bit, and the Doctor could show him something else entirely. But there was one part of the story he couldn't get out of his head. One part that didn't quite make sense until now. So he didn't go back. "1996."

Castiel followed him out the ship and into the ankle-deep snow. The two men were lucky they both had trench coats on, or else they'd be freezing. It was December of '96, getting close to Christmas time. They were parked in front of a bar called "The Basement."

It was late at night, probably close to one in the morning, which made Castiel hesitant. Whatever the Doctor wanted to show him, it couldn't be good.

The Doctor walked into the bar and took a seat off to the side. He had to be careful, because if Dean saw him now, he would recognize him instantly. Castiel sat down at the table beside him. "What are we looking for, Doctor?"

The Doctor looked around, slowly. He had never actually seen this story taking place. He just heard the details from Dean. Finally, he pointed towards a pool table. "There."

Castiel's eyes followed the Doctor's finger. At the end of it, across the bar at one of the pool tables, was a young Dean Winchester. Castiel knew he was 17 in '96, which meant he really shouldn't have been in a bar. He probably got in with a fake ID.

Dean was grinning ear to ear, leaning against the table with a stick in his hand. He was apparently taunting the guy he was playing against. Castiel could guess why. He had hustled the guy, and was probably about to make a couple hundred bucks.

"If you're trying to show me his good character, I think you took us to the wrong place."

The Doctor laughed. "No, I was not. I want to show you that…The second thing about Dean is he's been through a lot. I think you already know that. I know you think you know a lot about his life, but the truth is you weren't there. You didn't live through it. His life was a constant struggle, and in a way it still is. But the difference between the Dean right here, at that pool table, and the Dean back in your own time, is that this Dean didn't really have anybody. He had his dad, and he had Sam, but Sam was too young to be much help. And as for John… I think we both know about John."

Castiel frowned, looking back at the boy. He didn't seem to be having much trouble now. He looked to be enjoying himself. "Doctor-"

"If you think that he will betray you, you obviously don't know him. He's reckless and stupid at times. He doesn't think before he acts. He needs people, Castiel. He needs people he can trust. Sam can be that for him now. Bobby is there for him. So am I. And so are you, now. He won't take that for granted, trust me."

Castiel sighed. But this time, when he looked up to see Dean, he was gone. "Where did he go?"

The Doctor motioned to the back door to the bar, behind the tables. "Dean and the guy he was playing went out there, I believe."

"Should we follow?"

"You should, yes. I'm going to stay here."

Castiel looked at him, suspiciously, but got up without him, anyway. He took his time walking through the bar, taking in the surroundings. The bar itself was seedy at best, and downright decrepit at worst. He would have been surprised if they even asked Dean for an ID, even though he looked way too young to be drinking.

He finally reached the door, which he opened hesitantly. He didn't want Dean seeing him, either, just in case he would remember his face years from now in that barn. It was best that he remained unseen.

However, when he opened the door to the outside alley way, it was so dark he figured it wouldn't be a problem.

The alley looked like it was straight out of a movie. It smelled terrible, and snow was dark and gross rather than white. There were no lights, making it impossible to see anything other than vague outlines. Castiel could see pretty well in the dark, as an angel, but he figured humans would have a much bigger problem seeing out here.

As soon as he stepped outside, he heard a noise from farther down the alley. It sounded like a groan, or a gasp of some sort. Then he heard it again, except this time it was preceded by the sound of fist against skin. It was a sound Castiel knew all too well.

"You fucker. Think you can hustle me outta my money, huh?"

Castiel squinted, and could make out the forms of two individuals a few yards away, blocked partially by a dumpster. The much larger person was on top of the other, who seemed so small in comparison. Castiel could see the larger one throw a punch at the other. It was pretty clear right away that the figure on the ground was Dean, and the other man was the one from the bar.

"You little bitch. I'll show you what happens to punks like you who think they can steal from me."

Castiel knew he probably shouldn't interfere. The rules of time travel are pretty simple – just don't change anything. Don't do anything that could affect the future. However, in this instance, he thought it would be better to bend the rules a bit. There was no way he was going to sit back and let whatever was about to happen, happen.

Castiel ran over to the two behind the dumpster. He could see them both much clearer the closer he got. Dean was already pretty beaten up. The left side of his face was bright red, and was certainly going to turn black and blue, later. Blood dripped from his nose and his mouth. And currently, his pants were pulled down to his knees while his hands were being pinned by the larger man.

As he came forward, both of them looked towards him, but by the looks on their faces he guessed they couldn't see him all that well. Castiel immediately grabbed the man by his jacket, and pulled him off of Dean, throwing him back into the snow.

"Hey, what the Hell?" The man stood back up, and as soon as he did, Castiel clocked the guy right in the jaw, and then a few more times in the chest for good measure. While the guy was doubled over, groaning, he kicked him in the back of the knee, causing him to crumble to the ground. Once he was incapacitated, Castiel looked back to Dean.

The kid had a look of horror on his face as he stared in shock at the man on the ground. It was obvious he knew exactly the kind of trouble he had gotten into, and exactly what was about to happen to him, had Castiel not come to his rescue. Castiel didn't want to think about what would have happened had the Doctor never brought him here. "Are you okay?" Castiel asked after a moment, not sure of what else to say. He just wanted to make sure that he wasn't frozen in shock, and that he had the ability to move, because as of right now he hadn't so much as blinked.

Dean's eyes finally shifted from the man, and up at Castiel. He stared up at him, completely dazed, until he finally seemed to snap back into reality. He immediately reached down and pulled his jeans back up, covering his bare legs which had begun to turn red from the cold, and sit up a little straighter. "Th-th… thank you." His voice was barely louder than a whisper, but Castiel still heard him, somehow.

He leaned down and pushed the guy over slightly, who was still groaning beneath him. He pulled out the man's wallet and tossed it to Dean. Dean stared at it - his reactions disturbingly slow - before picking it up. He looked back up at Castiel.

"You should get out of here, and go home."

Dean nodded, slowly standing up. He slowly opened the wallet, and pulled out the cash inside. His fingers curled involuntarily around the money as he shoved it into his pockets. He let the wallet fall back into the snow. His eyes were red and wet as he wiped away some of the blood on his face. He was shaking as he finally began to leave. Castiel stayed where he was as he watched Dean make his way out of the alley. Right before turning the corner, he glanced back towards his mysterious savior, but Castiel was already back inside.

"Why didn't you tell me what was going to happen?" Castiel demanded, angrily, as he approached the Doctor's table. "I could have stopped that from happening all together."

"I couldn't." The Doctor explained, sadly. "Trust me, if I could go back and change Dean Winchester's life completely, I would. But that would change his timeline completely. It would make him a different person." This certainly had a large impact on Dean; large enough that he considered it one of his darkest secrets. There was no telling what exactly would be different if he had never experienced it, but the change could have been dramatic.

"I know we aren't supposed to change his timeline, but… it was too late, anyway. I still interfered. I couldn't just watch it happen."

"But you didn't interfere. You did exactly what you were supposed to."

Castiel stared at the Doctor. "What are you talking about?"

"Look, I was… hesitant to bring you here. This isn't exactly the kind of thing Dean tells people about. But then I remembered his story, and what he said happened tonight."

"And?"

"And, Dean told me that the person who saved him was a tall man in a suit and trench coat. He said he didn't remember seeing anyone like him in the bar, and he couldn't make out his face in the dark. When I considered bringing you here, I realized that man might have been you."

Castiel considered that for a while, before finally sitting down.

The Doctor continued. "You saved him, Castiel. From something terrible. Now, he doesn't know it was you, and he probably never will. But you've saved him other times, as well. Those choices you called me about, you made those for him. He won't forget that. You've sacrificed so much already."

Castiel looked down at his hands, thinking. Maybe the Doctor was right. Maybe it was silly to doubt the Winchester's so much. He had sacrificed a lot for them, yes, but they had given him a lot in return as well. And maybe one of those things was their trust. "We should keep going. We should see the last thing you wanted to show me."

The Doctor nodded.


	73. Part 3 of 3

_**Once again I would like to thank everyone for their interest in this story, and their reviews.**_

_**Unfortunately, my family has just suffered a tragedy. My uncle was in a motorcycle accident, and he passed away just yesterday. There is a lot going on right now, and there is a lot that I have to deal with.**_

_**I am not inferring that I will not be writing anymore. I love this story very much, and 100% plan to stay with it. I will still be updating, but I don't know when the next update will be. It may be a little while. I have to work out some personal things before I can deal with writing, but I assure you that as soon as things are figured out, you'll see an update from me.**_

_**Thank you for understanding.**_

* * *

Castiel walked out of the TARDIS into what appeared to be a junkyard. He looked around at the broken down cars, old tires, and other car parts he didn't know the name to. As an angel, Castiel had no need for cars, although he recognized that many humans were oddly captivated by them. He knew Dean to be one of those people, but he would never understand why. Why would someone care so much about something that's not even alive, when there were so many real live people out there to care about?

"Do you recognize this place?" The Doctor asked as he stepped out.

Castiel nodded. It looked a little different than it had the last time he had been there. It must have been a couple years earlier. "I think this is Singer Salvage Yard."

"You got it. 2002."

The Doctor led the way through the salvage yard, until they reached the entrance near the house. Castiel immediately noticed the Impala parked out front, beside Bobby's truck. The Doctor motioned for Castiel to come over to him, behind one of the cars. Neither of them could be seen. "We may have to wait a bit. It's difficult to time these things, sometimes."

"What are you trying to show me? What's the third thing I need to know about Dean?"

Suddenly they heard the sound of glass breaking from inside the house, followed by yelling. Although they couldn't hear what was being said, it was obvious there was a heated argument taking place beyond the walls of the house. The Doctor could recognize the voice, but Castiel had never met the man. John Winchester. The Doctor smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "The third thing you need to know about Dean is he's loyal. Loyal to the core. And while that's good news for those around him – and it's good news for you - it's not always good for him."

Castiel watched the house, waiting for something to happen. He was still startled when the front door flew open. Although he had never met the man, Castiel knew what John Winchester looked like, and knew it was him who stormed out of the door and down the stairs. Bobby came out after him, wielding a shotgun. He stood at the top of the stairs, staring down at John. The barrel of the gun was pointed at John's chest, but Castiel doubted he would ever pull the trigger. He knew Bobby Singer.

"What, you wanna make sure I left?! You had to escort me out?!" John spun back around to face Bobby. His face was red with anger. His hands were curled into fists.

"Don't try and pin this on me! This is your own fault, John!" Bobby sounded angry as well, but there was also a hint of regret in his voice.

"Really? So I kicked_ myself_ out of your house, and pointed_ your_ shotgun at my chest?" John spat. "This is your choice, Singer. You're the one making the enemy here, not me."

Out from behind Bobby, someone else came outside. Dean. Castiel couldn't see his face well from the distance, but the way his voice sounded, Castiel could imagine the look of distraught he was probably wearing. "Bobby, come on… don't do this."

Bobby looked behind his shoulder at the boy. "This isn't about you, Dean. I got nothin' against you, you know that. You and your brother are welcome here anytime."

"You ain't seein' either of them again." John scoffed. "Sam's gone. And he ain't coming back. Not for you, not for me, and not for Dean. And as for Dean – get your ass down here."

Castiel watched the exchange curiously. While he knew some things about Dean's life, he didn't know very many specifics. He knew that there was a fight between Bobby and John shortly before Azazel killed John, but he had never seen it go down. He knew very little about the Winchester boys' father. He wasn't particularly important to the angel's once they realized he was not, in fact, the righteous man.

The Doctor, on the other hand, knew quite a lot about John. Since he didn't have the angelic advantageous Castiel had, he learned most of the details about him through Sam and Dean. Together, they seemed to have very different memories of him. But get them alone, and they were a lot more honest about him.

But hearing the stories was much different than seeing it up close. Before today, the Doctor had never seen a part of Dean's life that Dean didn't specifically invite him to see. It was weird, seeing Dean from this outside perspective.

Dean looked down at his father. He took a few steps forward, until he was just a step or two in front of Bobby. "Dad… please. This is ridiculous."

"I didn't ask for your opinion, Dean. I t_old_ you to get down here, so we can go." John gave a final glare at Bobby, before heading back to the Impala, expecting Dean to follow.

Dean stared at his father, and then turned back to Bobby, who had lowered his weapon. "Dean-"

Dean said something back to him, but it was too quiet for them to hear from the salvage yard. But Castiel could guess it was something along the lines of, "I'm sorry."

They stood there, face to face in silence for a moment, before Bobby reached forward, and put his hand on Dean's shoulder. He nodded, and Dean walked down the stairs to the car. Once he was inside the car, he was completely gone from their view. The two of them, and Bobby, watched the car drive away. They waited for Bobby to go back inside before speaking again.

"So, what do you think, Castiel? How's Dean Winchester looking, now?"

Castiel thought about all he had witnessed. He was suddenly hit by curiosity. He had known Dean Winchester for over a year. He had been watching over the man, plotting against him, and with him. And yet he really didn't know much about him.

It was something Castiel had never thought about before. There as a difference between knowing all the _facts_ about someone's life, and _knowing_ someone's life. Human's weren't just a collection of events and facts. They were feelings and memories. He could know everything about someone, and not truly know them.

Humans were small. Their bodies and their beings were smaller than most other of God's creatures. And yet, inside, they were endless. Everyone he met, good or evil, was much bigger on the inside.

"I suppose there is a lot more to him than I previously thought." Castiel admitted.

The Doctor smiled. "I know. Otherwise he never would have been able to convince an Angel of the Lord to rebel against everything he knew. Not just anyone could do that, I would think."

"I think so, as well." Castiel sighed. "We should be going, shouldn't we?"

The two of them made their way back to the ship with full intentions of going home. But the TARDIS had other plans.


	74. Part 4 of 3

_**Thank you for your patience. It wasn't that long of a wait; I've certainly had you waiting for a new chapter for longer than this. Writing certainly makes me feel better, though - especially writing this story - and now that things have calmed down, I am happy to give you the next chapter. Thank you for your kind reviews and sympathies. Enjoy!**_

* * *

"What is going on with your ship?" Castiel questioned disapprovingly. "I thought you knew how to drive it."

"I do! Mostly... But something is wrong. She wants something." The Doctor stroked the console, sadly. "What's up, old girl? Where are you taking us?"

Castiel could feel the power of the TARDIS as she changed her course. It was quite remarkable. When she landed, he asked the obvious question. "Where did she take us?"

The Doctor studied the console, looking for the answer. When he found it, it didn't quite make sense. He changed the screen to look at the camera, so he could see where she had physically parked. It was a bar. Castiel came up behind him. "Another bar? Are we seeing Dean, again?"

The Doctor stared at the screen, confused. The outside of the bar looked rather familiar. He must have been there before, by why would he have been?

Suddenly, one of his other _adventures_ with Dean came back to his mind. John was missing, and Dean had needed his help. Sam made him promise to get his brother back safely, but the Doctor had failed at that.

But he had tried his best. He came to Dean's rescue when the demon, Aeshma, had trapped him in the bar's restroom. Dean managed to escape, leaving the Doctor to deal with her.

But, luckily for him, Dean came back with a bottle of spray paint and a crumpled piece of paper with a chant scribbled on it. With those as his only weapons, he was able to trap the demon and send her back to Hell.

And then the Doctor remembered something else. He remembered how Dean said he had gotten the can and the paper.

_"Actually, Doc, it, uh... it wasn't mine. Someone gave it to me. I saw him outside the bathroom when the demon attacked you."_

_"What? Who was it?"_

_Dean bit his bottom lip. "Well, uh, you did. It was you. And some guy."_

_"Me? You must be joking. I was getting attacked!"_

_"I know! But it was definitely you. You were standing there with some tall guy in a trench coat._

"Hello? Doctor?"

The Doctor turned to the angel. "Castiel, do you know how to exorcise a demon?"

Castiel gave him a strange look. "Of course, but I'm not sure how that's relevant-"

"And you know how to trap one? With a… Devil's Trap?"

"Yes, yes, but why? What's going on?"

"The TARDIS brought us here for a reason. She brought us here to help Dean, just as I brought you to that last bar to help him." The Doctor didn't wait for a response. He quickly went past Castiel into one of the TARDIS's back rooms, leaving the angel completely confused in the console room.

Castiel realized in that moment that the Doctor was not unlike the Winchester's. They were constantly running circles around him, coming to seemingly far-fetched conclusions and acting on them without a second thought. He would have thought the Doctor was more thoughtful, more deliberate in his actions. But maybe he was much more human than he seemed to be.

"Ah-ha!" The Doctor's head popped out of the hallway, grinning ear to ear. "I knew I had some spray-paint in here, somewhere. Tell me, Castiel, you don't happen to have a spare pen on you by some chance?" Castiel just stared at him, mouth slightly gaped. "Oh, right, and a piece of paper, too. No? It's okay, I'll find some."

Once the Doctor had acquired all the materials, he sprinted back to Castiel. He handed him a crumpled piece of paper that he had hastily smoothed out against his leg, and a pen. "You'd think in a ship this big it would be easier to find these things." Castiel did not laugh at his joke. "Here, go ahead and write down the… incantation, or whatever you hunters call it. Whatever will send a demon back to Hell."

Castiel accepted them, but did not begin writing. "I am not a hunter, and I would greatly appreciate being let in on whatever this is. Why are we exorcising a demon, and what does this have to do with Dean?"

"It's not obvious? I thought that as an angel you would be more apt at these sorts of things. Regardless, the TARDIS took us here to save Dean – and myself, actually – from a demon named Aeshma. When Dean was 16 – just a year ago from when we just saw him – his father went missing. I helped him track down this demon, who would have killed us both if it hadn't been for me and a mysterious man in a trench coat, who gave him these." The Doctor motioned to the paper in Castiel's hand and the spray paint in his own. "I didn't understand at the time, but now it all makes sense! This was when we did it!"

Castiel was still confused, but he decided it was better to just go with it. If the Doctor truly thought there was a powerful demon in this bar, attacking Dean and a past version of the Doctor, then he might as well help out. He scribbled down an exorcism on one side of the paper, and drew a devil's trap on the other. He handed it back to the Doctor. "Here, this is what he needs."

"Great! We should go give it to him, then."

"Wait, are you sure I should be there? He hasn't met me yet."

The Doctor shrugged. "He said he saw you and me. Apparently he didn't recognize you when he finally met you, officially. I think you'll be okay."

Castiel followed the Doctor through the bar, and toward the back. They waited down the hallway, facing the men's room. They could hear some kind of scuffle inside.

"Excuse me," They both turned at gruff voice. A tall, older man with a beard was standing behind them. They both stared at him. "Look, fellas, I need to get to the restroom." He explained.

"You can't." Castiel immediately went into _Angel mode,_ and blocked the man's path further. The Doctor could tell right away that this man was not about to be bossed around, so he stepped forward.

"Trust me, you don't want to." The Doctor said, quickly. He motioned to the bathroom door. "I just tried to go in, but I ended up walking in on something _no one_ ever wants to see." He watched the man's face change from anger, to confusion.

"Oh… I see." He looked to the door, and the slight sound of the scuffle inside seemed to strengthen the Doctor's story. "Guess I'll have to wait."

"Sorry." The Doctor said as he turned around and left.

Almost as suddenly as he was gone, the bathroom door bust open, and a very startled Dean ran out of it. He came to a crashing stop, however, when he almost ran into the two of them. He stared up at the Doctor. "Doc? What the… how are you…?" He glanced back at the now closed door. "But you were in there…"

The Doctor winked. "Time travel, Dean. That is what I do. We're here to help."

Dean looked over at Castiel. "Who are you?"

Castiel opened his mouth to respond, but the Doctor answered for him. "That's not important. This is important." He handed Dean the slip of paper.

Dean read through the incantation, but he didn't know what it meant. "I don't speak Latin."

"No one speaks Latin, Dean. Not anymore. You just have to read it out. Syllable by syllable. You're a smart kid, you can figure it out."

"What does it do?"

"It rips out a demonic presence from its host, and sends it back to Hell." This time is was Castiel who responded. "You can use it against the demon in there."

Dean looked concerned. "This is pretty long. I don't know if I can make this all out in time."

The Doctor reached out and turned the paper over in Dean's hands. "That's what this is for."

"A Devil's trap. Get the demon to step into it, and she won't be able to get out." Castiel promised. The Doctor handed him the spray paint. "You can use this to draw it just outside the door."

Dean's gut instinct was telling him that this was a crazy idea. He had never fought a demon before, and he had barely done any hunting without his father there. And yet, this was the Doctor. He wouldn't lead him astray, and he wouldn't put him in danger if he wasn't sure the plan would work.

Plus, this was apparently his_ future_ self, so this Doctor already knew how this all went down. "Okay. I guess I don't have much of a choice. I gotta go save your sorry ass, anyway." Dean smiled up at the Doctor, who smiled down at him. "But Doc, before you go, I gotta ask you something. You're from the future, right?" The Doctor nodded. "So you know me as an adult?"

The Doctor was hesitant to go into too much detail. "Yes, that's correct."

"How am I? As an adult I mean." The Doctor could tell by the sound of his voice that there was a lot more behind the question than it seemed. He wasn't just asking how he was, or what he was like. He was asking about how his future turned out. If things would go okay for him from then on. All the kinds of questions the Doctor couldn't answer, in fear of changing the timeline too drastically.

"Well, Dean, you're as pleasant as ever. I can't wait to get back to you."

Dean rolled his eyes, knowing his question wasn't going to be answered in the way he hoped. "Thanks."

"Now… go save me, would you?"

"I'm on it."

* * *

The TARDIS finally landed back in 2009, returning Castiel to his time. Both he and the Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS, back outside of the Winchester's motel room. "Thank you for the trip, Doctor. It was… enlightening."

"You're welcome. Remember, it's important that Dean doesn't know about this. Neither of the Winchester's need to know we've influenced their pasts."

They stood in silence for a while, before Castiel finally asked the question he had wanted to ask since the beginning of the trip. "Does it bother you, Doctor, that you have so much power, and yet you're bound to so many rules? I mean, you have the power to change everything. You could mess with time like it was nothing; like a handful of clay, just waiting for you to mold it."

The Doctor frowned, looking down at the pavement. "You have the same powers, Castiel. You have the power to go back in time. Maybe not as easily, but still. You could do just as much good in the world – or just as much damage."

"Yes, but I am bound by God not to use that power unless necessary. You have no such God." Castiel didn't want to insult the Time Lord, or tick him off in any way. He was simply curious. The Doctor understood that curiosity very well.

"That's true. But we all answer to someone, Castiel. We all have our 'gods'. One day, we'll all have to answer for our actions."

Castiel looked back to the motel room. He thought about the Winchesters inside.

One day he would have to answer to God, and explain why he made the choices he made. Why he rebelled against God's will. And when God asks him, and demands an explanation for his sins, Castiel will have no choice but to point to the Winchester boys and say, "Spend five minutes with them, and you'll see."

"Goodnight, Doctor."

"Goodnight, Castiel. And good luck."


	75. Flirt

_**Thank you to**_** cozmilkfaerie, Akayuki Novak, **_**and**_** snowdragon23 **_**for your reviews!**_

_**I'm glad to have Dean back, now that Castiel and the Doctor have finished their adventure. I've been planning that for a while, ever since I originally had Castiel and the Doctor turn up to help Dean way back in chapter 12! So it's been a while. I'm glad I could finally tie up that loose end, though. Anyway, on to the next chapter! Enjoy!**_

* * *

Dean tilted his head back as he downed another shot. It stung as it ran down his throat. He swallowed and glanced over to his left, where a very pretty girl was sitting just two seats down. She was by herself, looking down at her phone. Dean had spent the last ten minutes trying to figure out whether or not she would want to be bothered, because he really, really, wanted to bother her.

She was pretty cute. Her hair was a bright red and it curled around her ears. She was wearing a short black and white dress and tall black heels. He couldn't help thinking that she would be fun, and he needed a little fun right now.

The apocalypse was looming overhead, and Dean didn't really know what to think about that. What does one do, exactly, when the world was literally ending? It was not something they had ever faced before – no one had. Of course he and Sam were trying to stop Lucifer and his league of demons, but this battle wasn't as simple as good vs. evil. As they had learned not too long before, thanks to Castiel, the angels weren't as good as they pretended to be. And now they had to worry about Michael and his minions as well.

But tonight, Dean wasn't worrying about that. All he wanted to worry about was the pretty girl sitting at the bar.

The girl looked up from her phone just in time to see him quickly look back at his drink. She blushed, slightly, realizing he had been staring at her.

She put her phone back into her purse and picked up her own drink. She walked over to the chair beside him and sat down.

Dean looked up at her, surprised. "Hello."

She smiled. "Hello. I'm Amanda." She offered her hand, and he accepted it.

"Dean." Dean smiled back at her and raised his drink. She clicked her glass against his. "You here by yourself, or...?"

Amanda nodded. Dean's eyes couldn't help but be drawn straight to her lips, which were perfectly shaped and bright red. "A friend of mine was here with me earlier, but she went home. So now it's just me. What about you? You got a friend I should know about?"

"Nope. I just came for a drink." He motioned to her almost empty glass. "You need another?"

"That would be lovely."

Dean was about to get the bartender's attention, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and saw that whoever it was also had a hand on Amanda's shoulder. "Please, drinks are on me, for both of you." Dean looked up at the familiar voice and his eyes widened in surprise. _Jack?_

Amanda looked at Dean, and then back at Jack. "And why would you do that?"

Jack Harkness grinned and removed his hands from them. "I was just sitting at one of the tables when I noticed you two over here, and I thought I'd come over and say hi."

As Jack moved a chair in between them and called the bartender over, Dean realized Jack didn't know who he was. Jack must not have met him yet, on the planet Shedir. He must have really just wanted to come over and… chat?

Amanda looked ecstatic at the situation as she received her drink. Dean, however, was less amused. "And what would your name be, gorgeous?" Jack asked before taking a swig of his beer.

"Amanda."

"Jack. It's really good to meet you." He turned to Dean, next. "And what about you?"

Dean paused. "Uh, Dean."

"Dean, it's a pleasure meeting you." Jack winked, flirtatiously, and Dean decided this had gone on long enough. He was about to ask Jack to talk to him privately for a moment, when Amanda excused herself to the restroom.

Once she was gone, Dean let it out. "Jack, I know who you are."

Jack tilted his head. "I don't know what you mean."

"I know you're… you were one of the Doctor's companions, right?"

Jack raised her eyebrows. "You know the Doctor?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah, man. I've known him since I was four. And I met you, too. Just… apparently at some point in your future."

"Huh." Jack laughed a bit at that. "Ain't that something? That makes this hook up a bit more awkward."

"I'm not hooking up with you, Jack."

Jack shrugged. "We'll see about that."

"No, like, I'm 100% sure. There's no _we'll see_ about it."

Jack was about to reply, but he was interrupted by the sound of Dean's phone going off. Dean reached into his pocket, expecting to see Sam's name pop up, or maybe even Bobby's, but to his surprise, it was Castiel. Jack leaned forward just a bit to see the name. "Boyfriend?"

Dean rolled his eyes. He held the phone up to his ear. "Castiel? What's wrong?"

"Dean, I need your help."

Dean looked over at Jack. He kinda wanted to deal with him first, but Castiel didn't really call him about issues that could wait. Whatever it was, it was probably urgent. "Yeah, sure, Cas. What's up?"

"Aw, that's a cute nickname. Does he have one for you, too?" Jack asked playfully, but Dean just brushed him off.

"It's… an angel matter."

"What kind of angel matter?" That seemed to get Jack's attention.

"It's… hard to explain. I have someone I need you to talk to… Someone who I have reason to believe knows about Lucifer's location."

That _was _urgent. "What do you want me to do?"

"Where are you? I will come to you."

Dean gave him the location of the bar and hung up. "Sorry, dude. I'd love to stay and chat, but my friend needs help with something." Dean stood up, taking out his wallet to leave behind a tip for the bartender. "Don't worry though; I'll be seeing you again. Or, at least, you'll be seeing me."

"Wait, what were you talking about? Angels?" Jack stood as well.

Dean frowned. "Look, don't worry about it, okay? It's a really long story, and I don't have time to get into it right now."

At that moment, Castiel walked into the bar. Dean turned and watched him walk towards the two men. He stopped right in front of Dean. "Hello, Dean."

"Hey, Cas." Dean glared at Jack, who let out a little laugh at that. "Cas_tiel_, this is Jack Harkness. He's a friend of the Doctor's. Jack, this is Castiel, a friend of mine."

Jack stuck out his hand at Castiel, who was momentarily confused at the gesture. "Nice to meet you." He turned to Dean. "Well, you have an awfully good taste in _friends_, don't you?"

Castiel returned the hand shake awkwardly, and then turned his attention back to Dean. "We should really get going. Time is of the essence."

"Okay, let's get going, then."

"Wait!" Jack stops them both. "I'd like to come with."

Castiel looks to Dean to answer. "Look, Jack…"

"Come on, you said you knew me, Dean. You must know I can be useful. If you didn't want me so interested in this, you shouldn't have let me hear your phone call." Jack was all about the adventure, and he knew if Dean was really a friend of the Doctor's, he'd be the person to go to to find one. Plus, he really wanted to know what Dean had meant when he talked about some "angel matter."

Dean sighed and shrugged. "I don't know if you can really be useful here, but… yeah, sure, why not."

"Dean," Castiel looked back and forth between the two men. "I called you because I knew I could trust you. I don't want just anyone to see this."

"It's fine, Cas. Trust me, you'll like him."

Castiel hesitantly agreed, getting a grin from Jack. "Great! Then, let's be off!"

_**You gotta love Jack Harkness.**_


	76. She's Got the Jack

_**Thank you to **_**Sunny Lighter, Akayuki Novak, ****Sleepybutterfree, cozmikfaerie, karisdaae24601, snowdragon23, **_**and **_**AshlynDecia (who reviewed all the way back at chapter 4,) **_**for your reviews! I really appreciate the enthusiasm! **_

_**In reply to **_**snowdragon23**_**, I **_**really**_** love writing Jack. He is probably my favorite side character in Doctor Who, and I've tried to write him into this story as often as I can justify. I'm glad to hear that you like him, too, cause this shouldn't be the last of him. Anyways, enjoy!**_

* * *

Jack knew he could trust the Doctor's instincts when it came to his companions, so he knew he could trust Dean. But as curious he was about all of this, he felt like he may have been in over his head.

Jack did not tell Dean this, but he had been around a long time. He has immortal, or at least as immortal as one could be. For the foreseeable future and well beyond, he was going to be living on. He didn't know whether or not Dean already knew this information, but there was really know how to ask without giving it away.

What Dean _also_ did not know, was that Jack knew quite a bit about the supernatural. He had run into a few hunters over the years, and had even participated in a few hunts. It wasn't all that unlike working at Torchwood. Less alien, more monster.

Of course, Jack didn't know that _Dean_ knew about the supernatural. Each of them was accidentally keeping important information from each other without even realizing it.

Jack followed Dean and Castiel outside the bar, where they were alone. "Prepare yourself, dude. You may not like this next part." Dean warned him.

"Prepare for what, exactly?"

Castiel stood in front of the two of them, and extended his arms. He pressed two fingers on each of their foreheads and then BOOM! Jack felt his whole body fall through the floor. It felt strangely similar to when he travelled through time, except this time around there was the added terror of not knowing where he was going. He felt sick.

Everything was black, and then very suddenly, there was color again. His vision was blurry, and he was seeing double for a few seconds. He held his head, feeling like he was going to fall over at any moment, until he felt hands grab onto him and hold him up.

He heard a laugh. "I told you to prepare."

When his vision was back to normal, he could make out Dean in front of him, his hands holding onto his arms. He was smiling, apparently amused by Jack's current situation. "What the hell was that?"

Dean let go of Jack, now that he could stand up by himself again, but stayed near just in case he was about to take another dive. He remembered the first time Castiel had teleported _him_ anywhere, and it hadn't felt good. "You just teleported, my friend."

Jack looked at Castiel, who seemed rather perturbed at having to wait for Jack to get his balance. "What, did... did _you_ do that?" He asked, confused.

Castiel nodded. Dean explained. "He's sort of an angel. I know - it may take a moment to settle in. I didn't believe him, either, at first."

Jack stared at the _angel_. He looked completely human, although he knew better than most that looks could deceive. Still, he hadn't been expecting _that_. He knew aliens. He didn't know angels. "An angel...? Like from the Bible?"

"Yeah, basically. Not exactly what you'd expect, but..." Dean just shrugged. He turned to Castiel. "So... Who exactly are we talking to, Cas?"

"A demon named Mirae. She claims to know Lucifer's whereabouts."

"A demon?" Now _that_ was something Jack had dealt with before. After he was brought back to life by Rose, and then immediately stranded on Earth, one of the first people he had met was a hunter named Samuel Colt. He had been the first one to show him a few things about hunting. Even so, he hadn't seen many demons up close.

To anyone else, the mention of demons should've set off some alarms, yet Dean didn't react to this information at all. So not only did Dean have an angel for a friend, but he didn't blink an eye at hearing it was a _demon_ he was dealing with. That must have meant... "Wait, are you a _hunter_?"

Dean turned to Jack, brow furrowed. "How did you know that?"

"I've known some hunters in my time. I didn't think the Doctor hung out with that crowd." Jack was genuinely surprised that the Doctor would make friends with a hunter. Hunters were all about _killing_ things, and the Doctor was not all about that. In fact, it even made Jack a little suspicious of Dean, suddenly. He said he knew the Doctor, but maybe they weren't actually friends, like Jack had initially assumed. It wasn't like he had been able to check with the Doctor at all.

"Yeah he doesn't, generally. I'm a special case." Jack could've sworn Dean looked just a teeny bit proud of that. "But yeah, I'm a hunter. Have been my whole life, practically. What about you?"

"I'm not a hunter. But I've gotten around."

"Maybe you could be of service, then." Castiel said, impatiently trying to steer the conversation back to the problem at hand.

"Sorry, Cas. You have this Mirae, and what? You can't... get any information out of her?"

Castiel nodded. "She won't give me any information. But she did say something... She warned about what she called a _future problem_ for me."

Dean scoffed. "A future problem, huh? Great. I think we have enough current problems to deal with."

"Regardless, my current tactics have not been working. I need assistance."

Jack was surprised as Dean's face darkened suddenly. "Cas. You're not asking me to-"

"No." Castiel asserted. "I'm not asking for that. I just want you to talk to her. She said she would talk to _you_, specifically."

"Me? Why me?"

"I don't know. Again, she would not tell me."

"Alright. Well let's get to it, then."

Jack felt a little nervous as he followed Dean and Castiel into a strange, dimly lit room. The whole place made him feel uneasy, and it didn't help that in the center of the room was a girl, tied to a chair.

The girl, who couldn't have been much older than twenty, looked small and thin, and the ropes tied around her wrists and ankles only made her look tinier. Her face had Japanese features, but it was hard to tell underneath the blood. Any exposed skin was littered with cuts and bruises, and it looked like she had been through Hell.

Dean tried to make out the expression on Jack's face. "Look, Jack… I know she looks innocent and all, but she's a demon, and she's much-"

"No, I know." Jack waved him off. He worried his apprehension was showing through. He knew what demons were capable of. He had seen it himself. You couldn't be fooled by their appearance. They were stronger than any human, and they were about as evil as they come. "I've seen a few demons. The can possess anyone. Men, women, or children…" His voice trailed off, and Dean knew better than to ask. Some stories didn't need to be remembered.

"Mirae. Dean Winchester is here, as I promised." Castiel walked past the girl, to the other side of the room. He motioned for Dean to come forward.

Mirae looked up, her eyes glistening with tears. "Dean Winchester. You came…" Her voice was quiet but hoarse. "My hero…"


	77. A Room of Immortals (and Dean)

_**Thank you to **_**The Best Guest, ****cozmikfaerie, Akayuki Novak** ,_**and **_**snowdragon23.**

_**I'm not sure what you mean by "spoilers," **_**snowdragon23**_**. If you mean about Supernatural and Doctor who, this chapter **_**does**_** have Doctor Who spoilers in it, but it's like season 2 or 3. If you mean spoilers for **_**this**_** story, then you should know that every time Jack's around, you are going to learn something more about his plot line about chasing down Mara, even if you don't catch it right away.**_

_**Also, I'd like to give a shout out to my beta reader, **_**lionkingd15_. He just started a story called _Rage and Vengeance_, so if you like Attack on Titan and Marvel, you should go check it out!_**

_**Anyway, enjoy the next chapter!**_

* * *

"I wouldn't call me that, yet." Dean knelt down in front of her to be at eye-level. "My friend here said you wanted to speak with me."

Mirae nodded. Her eyes flickered over to Jack, who was standing against the wall. She motioned to him with her head. "Who is he?"

"None of your concern. Now, what did you want to tell me?"

Mirae looked back at Dean. Her lips curled into a grin. "I've seen so much about you, Dean… I just had to see you once, for myself." She looked him up and down. "Just how I imagined."

"What do you mean; you've_ seen_ so much about me?" Dean glanced over at Castiel, who could offer no explanation.

"I _know _things, Dean." Her head tilted to the side. There was a humor in her voice as she spoke, as if she was explaining a pleasant dream she had had, and wasn't tied to a chair after being tortured for who knows how long. "You see… I can see how things are connected. Like the three of you, for instance… Dean, Castiel, and the _stranger_… all connected."

"How are we connected?" This time is was Jack who asked the question. He pushed off from the wall and walked over to Dean and the demon.

Mirae looked up at him, her head rolling backwards and to the side as if she had no control over her motions. "A common enemy… a common friend… sometimes they are one in the same."

"That doesn't make any sense." Castiel came forward as well. He was tired of Mirae's games, and he wanted answers. "We don't care about any of this nonsense. I want to know about Lucifer."

"_Tsk, tsk_… Lucifer, Lucifer, Lucifer." Mirae giggled. "Don't you worry about big ol' Lucifer. I don't see a lot of him…"

"What, are you trying to say you can see the future?" Dean asked. Demons didn't have that power, the last he checked. Not the average demon, anyway.

"_Connections,_ Dean. Connections." She repeated. "That's what I can see. Sometimes that means the future. Sometimes it means the present… sometimes the past."

"She's speaking gibberish." Jack didn't remember demons like this, at all. He remembered them to be violent and merciless. Not cryptic and giddy.

"You're just not paying attention," Mirae insisted. "I'm telling you all that you need to know."

"We _need_ to know about Lucifer," Castiel argued.

"He's not the evil you need to be worried about." Mirae's eyes moved back over to Dean, where they stayed. "It's actually right in front of you."

Dean became uncomfortable at her stare. He turned to Castiel. "I don't think she's gonna say anything, Cas. What do you want to-" Dean was interrupted by a punch to the face.

While they had been interrogating her, none of the three men noticed Mirae quietly undoing her binds behind her back. As soon as her arms were free, she took a swing at Dean, landed it, and then pulled him to her.

Both Castiel and Jack rushed forward, but in their shock and confusion they were not fast enough. She reached into Dean's jacket and pulled out a blade, holding it to his neck. She looked up at the two others, still grinning, childishly. She spoke slowly, and softly. "Nobody move. Or I_ will_ cut his throat."

The four of them were at a standstill. Dean could feel the cold metal against his neck, telling him not to move. Mirae's other hand glided down his neck, softly caressing him. "You have quite the future ahead of you… I see love, and I see death. I see light, and I see the darkness. And I see something else…"

She paused, looking around the room. "A doctor? Of sorts… Ooooh, the connections I can see, there…"

"Let him go, Mirae." Castiel demanded. "You will regret this."

Mirae tilted her head. "Will I?" She gripped tighter onto Dean. "Hmm… I don't think so. I'm not making that connection." She threw her head backwards and a cloud of black smoke began shooting out of her. But before she got far, Dean spun around, grabbing the knife from her and pummeled into her, interrupting her escape. "Ugh… bitch!"

Dean tried to pin her down, but she threw her knee up into his stomach, and then threw him to the side. Castiel came at her next, but now she managed to stand, and when he swung his blade, she grabbed his wrist, twisting it. The angel blade fell to the floor.

Jack leaped for the blade, although he did not know it was capable of killing her. The only way he knew to permanently kill demons was using the Colt, but he figured it was still best that she did not have the weapon.

As he knelt down to grab it, Mirae slammed her foot into his jaw, causing him to fall over. She sat down on top of him, easily prying the blade out of his hands. Before he could do anything, she shoved the blade right through his chest.

"Jack!" Dean ran over to them, but Castiel was faster. He grabbed the demon from behind, pulling her off of Jack. Although she was tough, she was still small and light, and Castiel was easily able to carry her the few feet to the wall, and pin her to it. She struggled to free herself from his grasp. Castiel groped for the blade. Using his body to keep her against the wall, he grabbed the blade from her, and shoved it through the back of her neck until the tip of it hit the wall.

He held it there for a few seconds until she went limp, and he let her fall to the ground.

"Shit, shit, _shit_… Cas! Cas, help me!"

Castiel rushed over to where Dean was knelt over Jack's body.

"Can you heal him?" Dean had checked his pulse, but he found nothing. Jack wasn't breathing anymore, and it was pretty clear he was long gone. Still, he hoped that Castiel could somehow save him, because if not, Dean had severely fucked up.

Jack _couldn't_ die, now. He just couldn't. If he did, Dean's whole past would be altered, and who knew what that would do. The Doctor had warned him several times about messing with the past and the future.

But of course, Dean had fucked up. He brought Jack someplace he wasn't supposed to be, and got him killed.

Castiel knelt down beside them and pressed his palm against Jack's head. Dean watched his face for any sign from the angel. Castiel's face twisted in confusion. "What's wrong? Castiel? What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure…"

"Is he dead?"

"Yes. His body is most certainly dead, but… his soul is still there. And there is something strange about it…"

"What do you mean?"

Both Castiel and Dean were startled as Jack's eyes suddenly flew open, and he was gasping for air. He looked around, frantically for a second until he could remember where he was. His eyes met Dean's. "Oh… please tell me you kissed me."

"Jack? What the hell? Are you alright?" Dean offered a hand and helped Jack stand up. "You were… you were dead!"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, I probably should have mentioned that. I do that, now. Die, and then come back. It's a long story."

Dean and Castiel exchanged a glance. Dean asked the obvious, "Are you human?"

"100%. Well, at least I think so. You can thank Rose for that – you do know Rose, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do, but how did she-"

"I'm not sure if I should tell you that. I don't want you messing around with the timeline, eh?" Jack shrugged. "You just gotta take my word for it. Or you could ask the Doctor yourself. Just don't tell him I told you that."

Castiel eyed Jack, but it wasn't with suspicion, it was with curiosity. He had never seen any_ human_ who could do that. He could come in handy one day.

"Well… I'm sorry about getting you killed… however impermanent it was. I should've been more careful."

"Don't sweat it, Dean. I'm the one who wanted to go with you on this _adventure_." Jack insisted. "Not your fault at all. Besides, no harm no foul, right?"

Dean smiled. "I guess so."

Jack clapped his hands together. "Now, as fun as this was… I think we left our lady friend high and dry at that bar. I bet I could win her back. What do you say, Dean?"

Dean laughed. "No thanks, man. She's all yours."

"What? That's just no fun…" Jack shrugged. "Alright, then, your loss. This all could have been yours, Dean, remember that." He said, pointing to himself.

"Yeah… I won't forget."

Castiel dropped Jack back off at the bar, and Dean back at his motel, where Sam was sleeping. "Sorry we couldn't get more information out of her, Castiel."

"We'll just have to find another way, I suppose."

"If you need anything else, call me, okay?"

Castiel nodded. "Will do."

* * *

_**The name Mirae is a girl's name of Japanese origin. It means "future".**_


	78. Help

_**Thank you to **_**The Best Guest, Akayuki Novak, snowdragon23, minaviolet, **_**and**_** random reader.**

_**About the Mirae's name – I apologize if it's not quite "future" in Japanese. I found it on one of those name meanings websites. Sorry about that!**_

* * *

This wasn't what _most_ people would call an emergency, but for the Winchesters, anything concerning the other brother was an emergency to them.

Sam looked down at his phone as he scrolled through the long list of contacts. He had met so many people throughout his years of hunting, but he knew very few of them well. In a time of need like this one, however many contacts he had, only a handful would have been of any use.

He considered calling Bobby, but he hesitated. He wasn't sure how Bobby would feel about this. He was sure Bobby would _want_ to help him, but he wasn't sure he _would_, in this case. He may not want to get involved.

And of course who he _wanted_ to call was Dean. But at this point he wasn't even sure his brother would pick up.

There was someone else, though… someone else who may be able to help. It wasn't someone he would normally call… in fact he had only called this person once before, and it was to tell him Dean was dead. His finger hovered over the Doctor.

He pressed send, and put the phone up to his hear. He heard it ring, praying to God that he would answer.

But why would he, anyway? Sam knew he had been an asshole to the Doctor. Ever since he met him, he had been hostile towards him, and his reasons had not been strong. He was scared of the time lord, and he was scared for Dean. For some reason he thought that his feelings about the Doctor would change Dean's opinion of him… but he had been wrong. Dean made his own choices, and he made his own friends. So in the end, all Sam ended up doing was feeling like the biggest douche in the universe, calling him for help.

He was actually surprised when he heard someone pick up. "Hello?"

At first, Sam said nothing. But then he got himself together, and answered. "Hello… Doctor? This is… Sam Winchester."

"Sam?" The Doctor seemed surprised to hear from him, and Sam couldn't blame him. He couldn't blame him if he hung up right now and left Sam with no one. It was fully within his rights. "Are you okay? Is something wrong?"

It wasn't like he was calling to catch up. "Uh, well… kind of. I need your help..." Half of Sam wanted to assure the Doctor that everything was technically okay on his end. No one had died, the world wasn't ending… well, technically it was. But that wasn't the point of the phone call. They were working on the whole _end of the world_ thing, already.

But the other part of him wanted the Doctor to think it was an emergency. He figured that was the best way to ensure that the Doctor would come. So instead of doing either thing, he just remained vague. "Are you busy? Do you think you could… come down, or whatever?"

"Tell me where and when you are, Sam. I can be there immediately."

* * *

The Doctor was worried. It wasn't every day that Sam Winchester called him up and asked him for help. That must have meant something _bad_ had happened. Yet bad things happened every day for the Winchesters, so what would possibly make this one any different?

The Doctor landed outside the motel Sam said he was staying at. He was nervous when he knocked on the door of room 42, but his nervousness turned to confusion once Sam answered the door. "Hey, Doctor."

"Hey, Sam." Sam let him into the room, which, to the Doctor's surprise, was otherwise empty. He expected to find Dean, or a dead body, or something even worse. But instead, it was just Sam. He gave the room a once-over as Sam closed the door and took a seat on the bed. He left room for the Doctor to join him, but the Doctor chose to stay standing.

"Thanks for coming, Doctor. I… wasn't sure you would."

"Of course, Sam. All you have to do is call… so what's the problem?"

Sam sighed, looking down. "It's, uh… well, it's Dean. I need you to talk to him for me."

"Talk to him about what?"

"Look, I've made a lot of mistakes, lately. I'm sure you know all about it – I'm sure Dean tells you everything… but that's not the point. I made mistakes, and I thought I needed time to think things over. I thought… that putting some distance between Dean and I would help me think clearly. So I left. And he let me. But I spent some time thinking, and I realized I was wrong. I tried to go back to him, but… he refused. He said we were better off apart."

The Doctor frowned. "Sam, I'm sorry. But I don't know what you want me to do."

"You know as well as I do that he's wrong! We're better together! We need each other! But he won't listen to me. He won't listen to anyone. He's stubborn like that. But you… he'll listen to you." Sam shook his head to himself as he spoke. He was looking down at the ground, rather than at the Doctor. "Doctor… I'm so sorry. I really am."

"Sorry about what?"

"For everything. For how I've treated you."

"Sam-"

"No, Doctor. Come on. We both know I've been an asshole. I don't mean to be, I just… I thought you were dangerous. I thought you were reckless. And I thought you were putting Dean in danger. But I know, now… none of that was your fault. Dean makes his own choices. He makes his own friends. No one makes him do anything."

"You don't have to apologize, Sam." The Doctor took his seat beside Sam, who finally looked over to him. "I know you've been looking out for your brother. He would do the same thing. But like you said… he makes his own choices. And it seems to me that a lot of people think that I can control him. But I promise you, I don't have the kind of influence over him that you think."

"Oh, come on, Doctor. If you really think that, you're crazy!" The Doctor raised his brow. "He looks up to you, Doctor. He always has. You're family to him. And so am I, but… it's different. I'm his little brother. Yeah, he'd do anything for me… but he won't listen to me. But you? You're… I don't even know _what_ you are to him, but you're important. He'll listen to you, I promise!"

The Doctor shook his head. "Fine, maybe you're right. Maybe he would listen to me… but I still won't do it."

"Why not?"

"Because I value his choices. Maybe I don't agree, but I respect him. I'm sorry, but I can't just go and change his mind just like that."

Sam sighed, looking away. "I suppose you're right… I just want him back, you know? I need him. And I know he needs me."

"I know. And I'm confident he knows that, too. He'll come around, Sam. He loves you more than anything. He'll come back to you if you just give him some space."

"I hope so. Thank you, Doctor. Thank you for coming when I called."

"Of course."

* * *

Martha was startled when the Doctor came back into the TARDIS. She ran over to him, gauging the look on his face. "Doctor! What happened? Is everything okay?"

The Doctor nodded. "Everything's fine. It was just Sam. Nothing serious, he just wanted help."

"Was Dean there?"

"No. They're separated for now. I'm sure the two of them will be back together soon, though."

Martha frowned. "Could we go see him? I'd like to talk to him."

"Martha-"

"Come on, Doctor. You keep saying that it's not a good time. I need to talk to him. Please?"

The Doctor tried to stare her down, but it was obvious that there was no convincing her. She would always get what she wanted. "Sure, I guess we could stop by."

Martha grinned. "Thank you, Doctor!"


	79. All Must Come to an End

_**Thank you to Akayuki Novak, snowdragon23, and The Best Guest for your reviews, (as confused as they may be...)**_

_**Sorry to those of you who weren't quite clear on what is going on right now. I try not to delve into the plot line of the actual show too much, since that story has already been told, but I guess I was a bit too vague on what was happening. Right now Dean's plot line is currently in the beginning of season 5. In the second (I think) episode of season 5, Sam tells Dean he needs some time to himself, and leaves. The very next episode, he tries to reconnect with Dean (who has been spending his time with Castiel) but Dean says no. This whole separation only lasts for threeish episodes. Anyway, that's what Sam was referring to in the last chapter, and what's still happening this one. Sorry for the confusion, and as always, enjoy!**_

* * *

Dean was with Castiel when they both heard the sound of the TARDIS. Dean stopped mid laugh, and Castiel looked around, startled. "You heard that, too, right Cas?"

Castiel nodded. "Why would the Doctor be here, now?"

Dean shrugged. "He stops by from time to time. Unlike _some_ people, he doesn't come by just in times of peril," he said, giving Castiel a look. They both stood from the table they had been sat around. Dean walked to the window and glanced out of it. He could see the TARDIS at the street corner, and he could see the Doctor stepping out of it. "Yup. Come on, Cas. Come say hi."

Castiel followed Dean out of the motel, and towards the ship masquerading as a blue police box. Dean waved to him, smiling. The Doctor caught his eye and waved back. He looked behind him, and Dean followed his eyes. He saw Martha walk out behind him.

"Martha!" It had been some time since he had seen Martha, now. It was weird, only seeing her every so often. He never knew exactly how he stood with her, and he wasn't sure what version of her he was talking to. Still, he was happy to see her again.

"Hey, Dean." Martha ran over to him, into a hug. When she pulled away, she noticed Castiel as well. "Hello, Castiel." She greeted him less friendly. Castiel nodded to her.

"What are you guys doing here? Is everything okay?"

The Doctor decided to let Martha handle that one. Martha nodded. "Yeah, everything's fine. I just wanted to see you. We both did."

"Oh, well, I'm glad you did." Dean grinned up at the Doctor. "So, you guys wanna come in or something?" It had been hard on Dean to be away from Sam for so long. It felt like when Sam went off to Stanford, except then it had been Sam's choice. This one was Dean's.

Of course he _wanted_ to have Sam back. He never _wanted_ to be separated from him. But he felt like he needed this space. He needed time to think through things by himself, without Sam influencing him.

It was easier with Castiel, here. The angel wasn't much of a conversationalist, and he wasn't much of a listener, but simply having him here was comforting to him.

But Martha and the Doctor? Well, that would be even better.

"Actually, I was kind of hoping I could talk to you." Martha tilted her head toward the Doctor and Castiel, silently adding, "Alone."

"Yeah, sure. I'll take you out to eat." He looked to Castiel. "Cas, be a good host to the Doctor, eh?"

Castiel widened his eyes. "Uh, Dean-"

"Great, thanks Cas. We'll be back soon."

The two of them walked to the Impala, leaving the Doctor and Castiel alone.

The Doctor looked to Castiel. "Sorry about this. Martha has wanted to talk to him for a while. I don't know what about, but... What are you going to do?"

Castiel frowned, watching the Impala drive off the lot. "That's not a problem. This is actually a good thing."

The Doctor rose his brow. "Yeah? How so?"

"I need to ask you about something. Someone, actually."

"Who?"

"Jack Harkness."

* * *

Martha and Dean sat across from each other at a local diner that Dean had noticed when he first got to the motel. It seemed nice enough, and it wasn't too expensive. The waitress came and took their order, and then headed back into the kitchen.

Martha looked nervous, and it gave Dean a bad feeling. It reminded him of how Sam would look when he was just a kid, and he didn't want to tell Dean something. Usually it was just something stupid – he had gotten a bad grade in school, or he had broken something small and unimportant, but still felt bad about it. Sometimes it was something he made Dean promise to never tell John.

But now Martha had the same uneasy smile on her face, and Dean felt his stomach dropping.

He thought back to his junior year of high school – his _last_ year, since he dropped out near the end of it. He had been dating this girl named Armani, who had been in his English class. One morning she came up to him in the hallway, with that same look on her face, and told him to meet her after school. He found her out by her car, where she fell into his arms, crying and saying she was pregnant.

As it turned out, it was a false positive, and nothing else came of it. They broke up shortly after, and Dean dropped out completely.

He smiled reassuringly at Martha, hoping that he was imagining it. Maybe he was overreacting, and nothing was really wrong. But he could tell from the moment she said she wanted to talk to him alone, that something was wrong, and now his imagination was going wild.

"So how have things been?" Martha asked, and Dean was thankful she was starting a normal conversation.

Dean shrugged. "Okay, I guess… Sam and I have… taken separate paths, right now. But otherwise, everything's about the same as always."

"So not so great, huh?" Martha smiled. Dean laughed, nodding.

"What about you? How are things with you and the Doctor?"

Martha's smile faded again, and Dean realized he had hit the spot. She looked down and sighed. "Well, that's sort of the thing-"

"Here you two go." The waitress interrupted her, placing two glasses down, and then two plates. "Need anything else? Any sauces or…?"

Dean shook his head. "No thank you."

She left, and Dean looked at Martha, again.

Martha took a sip of her drink. She motioned for him to start eating while she spoke. "Things aren't… they aren't great."

"How come? What's wrong?"

She just shook her head, poking at her burger. She wasn't hungry. "I don't know what I'm doing. I feel like I'm in over my head with him."

Dean frowned. He certainly understood that feeling. The Doctor was a pretty overwhelming person. It felt like he was larger than life sometimes. "I think everyone's in over their head when it comes to the Doctor. Other than other Time Lords, I guess."

Martha frowned. "No, this is different…" Martha wasn't sure how to say what she was trying so desperately to get out. She didn't even really _want_ to say it, but she had to. She owed it to Dean. She tilted her head in thought for a moment as Dean patiently waited for her to continue. Finally, she looked up at him, starting over. "You know… when the Doctor first had me join him in all of this… well, I had mixed feelings about it. But no one – not even me – can deny the beauty of travelling the universe. I've seen so much. I've done so much!"

Dean nodded, smiling faintly. He knew exactly what she meant.

"But there was something else, too… Something about the Doctor that I… I just couldn't get over." Martha let out a small sigh. "He was spectacular, you know? He was… marvelous. And he was so friendly and courageous… and I knew from the very beginning that I was in love with him."

Martha tried to gauge Dean's reaction to that. She really couldn't. He had stopped eating, and was looking down at his plate. She continued. "But he didn't love me back, and I knew that. I was trying to make my peace with that. And then I met you… and Dean, you were wonderful. You're so smart and brave. Unapologetically loving. You're unlike everyone I've ever met, and that includes the Doctor."

"Martha, I don't understand what you're doing." Dean was trying not to think about how he was feeling right now. He was confused and crushed all at once. He had known that Martha obviously had _some_ feelings toward the Doctor – and he couldn't quite blame her. But until now he could ignore that. "I mean what is this? A breakup?"

He wasn't sure if he loved Martha or not. He had never really had to answer that question before, in his life. And it was starting to look like he wouldn't have to, now.

"Dean… I'm leaving." Martha leaned back in her seat. It felt good to finally get it out, but it felt awful to see Dean's face as she said it. "I don't know when. I haven't even told the Doctor yet. I just… this life is wonderful. It really is. But it isn't mine. I have a family back at home that I never see anymore. I have… feelings that I can't understand, rushing through my head all the time. And I wish… I wish I could ask you to come with me. Because if I could, I would. But I can't do that to you. I can't ask you to leave your brother, and your life, here. That's asking too much."

"What, I don't get a say in this?" Dean asked. "You aren't even going to ask me?"

Martha smiled sadly and shook her head. "I know you, Dean. You wouldn't be happy with my life. It's like… it's like you were _born_ to travel with the Doctor. You were made for it. I'm not. If I took you away from all that… you'd never forgive me. And I wouldn't forgive myself."

Dean scoffed, looking away for a moment. He was forcing himself not to tear up, and he was incredibly embarrassed that he had to. But he couldn't help it. "So you're just leaving, then? Just like that?"

"I'm sorry, Dean. I wish… I wish I could be the person you deserve. I wish I could be more for you. But I can't."

Dean shook his head, looking back down. He pushed down his anger and sadness. He knew he had no right to be upset with her. He couldn't blame her for doing what was right for _her_. He wanted what was best for her, didn't he? And if this was best… he couldn't argue with that. "Don't apologize, Martha… You don't need to."

"Thank you, Dean. For everything." Martha smiled at him the best she could.

Dean smiled back. "Thank _you_, Martha. Honestly."

* * *

The two of them soon returned back to the TARDIS, where Castiel and the Doctor had just finished their discussion.

"You boys have fun?" Martha asked as she and Dean approached them.

Castiel squinted his eyes, but the Doctor just laughed. "It's hard _not_ to have fun with Castiel, here."

Dean smiled. "Oh, I bet."

The Doctor looked to Martha. "So, what's the deal, Martha? Are we leaving?"

Martha nodded, glancing at Dean. "Yeah, I think we are."

* * *

**_P.S. 60,000 views! Yay! Thanks, guys!_**


	80. Party of Five

_**Thank you to **_**Guest**_**, **_**snowdraon23**_**, and **_**The Best Guest **_**for your reviews.**_

* * *

Dean groaned when he heard a knock on his door. "Sam..." He buried his face further into the sheets. He could tell right away he was seriously hungover - one sign was the raging headache and nausea, another was the fact he couldn't remember going to bed. It had been a hard night – actually, it had been a hard month. The apocalypse was still looming in the background, and Lucifer was still up in the air. All Dean had wanted was to cool off at a bar, alone, but he had gotten a little carried away.

He heard another knock, this time louder, and there was no reply from Sam. Dean lifted his head up, shielding his eyes from the light pouring through the blinds. "Ugh…" He turned to Sam's bed, but it was empty.

"Dean? Are you in there?"

Dean perked up when he recognized the British voice from behind the door. "Doctor?"

"Sam? Anyone?" And that was most certainly Donna.

"What the hell...?" Dean stumbled out of bed and, rather ungracefully, reached for the door.

When he opened the door, more sunlight flooded into his face. He squinted at the two dark shapes in the doorway until they came into focus. "Dean? You look awful." Donna greeted him.

Dean scoffed. "Thanks. I feel like sh-"

"Are you okay?" The Doctor asked, looking him over.

Dean nodded, turning away from the light. He motioned for them to enter. "Yeah, I'm okay. I had a rough night. Little too much to drink, I think."

"Ah, that would explain a lot."

"What do you mean?"

"You called me last night. I could barely understand you, and what I could make out didn't make any sense. We came as soon as you hung up. It would make sense that you were drunk."

"I called you?" Dean grabbed his phone off the table beside his bed. He scrolled through his call list, and lo and behold, there was the Doctor's name. "Jeez. I'm so sorry, guys. I don't even remember that." Dean apologized, feeling embarrassed. He had never done anything like that before. He started to wonder what he had said.

"Don't stress about it. We were just worried. We thought something was wrong." Donna gave him a sympathetic look.

Dean sighed. "I mean... Things aren't great. They never are. Sorry about the call. It won't happen again."

They all turned when they heard someone else knock on the open door. It was Sam, holding two coffees. "Sorry, am I interrupting?" He had a quizzical look on his face. He had been gone no more than ten minutes and Dean got the Doctor over to their motel.

"Sorry, Sam. There was a bit of a misunderstanding." The Doctor apologized.

Sam looked at Dean to explain. Dean rolled his eyes, sitting down on the bed. "It's nothing, I just... called him last night. I didn't mean to."

"Oh, you mean when you got blackout drunk? Yeah, I'm not surprised." Sam let out a little laugh. He leaned over slightly to Donna. "He gets all emotional when he's drunk. It's pretty funny."

"I do not!"

Sam ignored him. "So are you guys gonna stay?"

The Doctor shrugged, looking to Donna. "We could. It's up to Donna, here. She's the one who will have to wait on our trip."

"I always like seeing Dean. We can stay." Donna smiled, and Dean grinned back.

Suddenly, Dean's phone started to ring. He looked down at it. "Oh, it's Cas. Hold on." He put the phone up to his ear. "Hey, Cas, what's up...? Yeah, Sam's here... Uh, hold on I'll text you the address... No, I'm gonna *text* it to you... Yes it's going to be on the screen. Cas, we've been over this..."

After a little more arguing and explaining, Dean hung up, and texted Castiel the address of the motel. "Sorry about that. I guess Cas is stopping by, too. This is gonna be one hell of a party."

"Did he say why?" Sam asked, handing Dean the now cold coffee.

Dean shook his head. "You know Cas. He's vague."

"Sounds like we came in time for a bit of an adventure," the Doctor grinned, not being able to hold back his excitement. He looked over at Donna, who smiled as well.

The Doctor had expected Castiel to knock on the door or something. He was not expecting the angel to just *appear* behind him, making him jump.

"Hello, Dean."

The Doctor turned around, feeling relieved once he saw who it was.

"Apologies, Doctor. I didn't know you would be here. I thought it was just Sam and Dean."

"I don't believe we've met before." Donna smiled at him, reaching out to shake his hand. With the other hand she whipped her hair back slightly, and then smiled flirtatiously. "I'm Donna Noble."

Castiel did not seem to understand the flirtation. He accepted her hand shake. "Castiel." He turned back to Dean. "As I was saying... I need your help, Dean."

"With what?"

"Lamia."

Dean stared at the angel. "Am I supposed to just know what that is?"

"It's a queen from Greek mythology." Sam explained, butting in. "She was a mistress to Zeus, right? And when Hera, his wife, found out, she retaliated by killing Lamia's children."

Castiel nodded. "That is correct. Lamia was so distraught, she turned into a horrible monster that fed on children."

"She sounds lovely."

"She really is. But unfortunately, the situation is more dire than a simple monster hunt." Castiel warned.

"What do you mean?"

"Apparently she has her eyes on a particular child that under no circumstances can she get to."

Dean frowned. "Well, Cas, I would hope we wouldn't want her to get to *any* children."

"Of course not. But this one is special."

"How so?" This time it was the Doctor questioning him.

"This child is one of the Tzadikim Nistarim."

"Okay, now I'm *really* lost." Dean sighed, looking around at the group. He expected them to be equally confused, but they all seemed like they knew exactly what Castiel was talking about. "Wait, what's a Ti-dakium Nistarm, or whatever?"

"It's a story. It can't possibly be true," the Doctor argued.

"Of course it's true. The Tzadikim Nistarim come from the *Talmud*. Tzadikim Nistarim is Hebrew for 'hidden righteous ones.' The Talmud states that at all times there are thirty-six righteous people in the world whose purpose in life is to justify the existence of humankind in the eyes of God. If one of them was to disappear before they could be replaced, the world would come to an end."

"So, what, if one of them dies, God's just gonna smite us all? Just like that?" Sam inquired.

"I don't know. It's possible. No angel has ever been told exactly what happens if one were to die prematurely."

"It's not like God is exactly putting his two cents in, now." Dean pointed out. "I doubt he'll swing by just to end everything."

"You may be right – I am actually inclined to agree with you. But I think we can both agree it's better if we don't find out."

"So, we're on a mission to save a bunch of kids," Donna commented, elbowing the Doctor. "Sounds like our kind of gig, right Doctor?"

"I think so."

Castiel nodded. "Good. The more people, the better."


	81. Delisha

_**Thank you to **_**snowdragon23_, _cozmikfaerie_,_ YastoraRisa, The Best Guest, _and _Akayuki Novak _for your reviews. Thank you so much for your support!_**

* * *

Delisha was just six years old when her mother passed away. She had been sick for as long as Delisha could remember, so while her death was not surprising, it was no less painful. Four years later, her, her little brother, and her father resided in a small town house in Tampa, Florida.

Her father worked as a cashier during the day, and a bartender at night. Because of his two jobs, he wasn't home a lot. Delisha and her brother, Hasan, were often watched over by the neighbor's daughter, Cheyenne.

Cheyenne was sixteen years old, in her junior year of high school. For the past three years she had been babysitting Delisha and Hasan pretty much every week day. She didn't mind spending her weeks with the kids, though, because the money she made let her do pretty much whatever she pleased on the weekend. Plus, the kids were pretty sweet.

Delisha had lived a hard life, and this had enabled her to see the same distress in others. When she looked to her father she could see the same hurt and sadness in him that she felt in herself. When she looked to her brother, she could see his loss and confusion, just as she could see her own. And when she looked to a stranger, although she wouldn't know _what_ had occurred to them, she could see the effect it had.

So when she noticed a shiny black car parked across the street, and she could see the men and woman inside, she could see their pain, as well. Each one of them, individually fighting their own personal battles. She could never begin to understand the trials and tribulations they had endured, but she knew it must have taken a huge toll on each of them.

She watched them, curiously, from her bedroom window one day after school. She pulled the curtains just enough so that they could not see her. She had noticed them an hour before, walking home from the bus stop. She didn't pay any mind to them at the time. They were probably just friends of a neighbor, or maybe they were just lost.

But when she noticed them again, they hadn't gotten out of their car, and they hadn't driven away. They were just sitting, smushed into the small vehicle.

The man in the driver's seat would glance over at her, every so often, but Delisha couldn't tell if he could see her past the curtains. She shrunk back when he did, worried at what he might do if he caught her staring. Beside him sat a red-headed woman who appeared to be talking to someone in the backseat. She wondered what they were talking about. She wondered if it had something to do with why they were parked outside her house, waiting. There were three men in the back, but she could hardly make them out from this distance.

Delisha considered alerting Cheyenne of their presence. She figured that was the right thing to do. Cheyenne would take care of it. She would know if they were dangerous or not.

"Delisha?" Delisha quickly pulled away from the window, looking behind her to her little brother. "What are you staring at?"

Delisha glanced back at the now closed curtain. "Nothing, Hasan. I was just looking at the trees."

Hasan narrowed his eyes, but did not pry further. "Cheyenne made dinner."

Delisha nodded. "Okay. Let's go eat, then."

The siblings sat down together at the tiny dining room table. Cheyenne brought over two bowls of Hamburger Helper and placed them in front of the kids. "Here you two go! So, I have to make a phone call, real quick. You both have to promise me you'll eat all of this before going back to play, okay?"

"We promise, Cheyenne," they said in unison. When she turned around, the two glanced at each other and stifled a giggle. They both knew that a _phone call _meant calling her _boyfriend_.

Cheyenne went out into the backyard patio, leaving the blinds closed so they couldn't see her talk. Hasan immediately started chowing down on his meal, but Delisha couldn't stop thinking about the people outside.

"Hasan, will you do me a favor?" Delisha asked just a moment or two after Cheyenne stepped outside.

Hasan stopped eating and stared at her. "What kind of favor?" He asked, suspiciously.

"Don't worry, little brother, it's nothing bad for you. I just need you to not tell on me."

"Not tell on you? What are you going to do?"

"I'm just gonna go outside for a moment! Just don't tell Cheyenne, okay?"

Hasan frowned, obviously internally contemplating this decision. Finally, he nodded. "Fine. I won't tell on you. But if she comes back I'm not going to lie."

Delisha smiled. "Thank you!" She stood up and kissed the top of Hasan's head as she left.

"Gross!"

* * *

Dean leaned his head against the back of his seat. They had been staking the house out for hours, now, and the only notable thing to happen was the kids getting home from school. Castiel explained to them that it was the older girl who was one of the Tzadikim Nistarim.

But after seeing her, nothing else had happened. There was no sign of Lamia, or any other danger, approaching the house. "Oh my God… could this be more boring?"

"No. But it could be worse," Sam pointed out from the backseat. "We could be squashed into the backseat of a tiny car with two other guys – oh, wait, that's exactly what I'm doing."

"It is rather uncomfortable," Castiel agreed.

"I don't know what you boys are complaining about. I'm having loads of fun," Donna grinned. "We're on a real stake out! It's exciting!"

"Again, I think it would be beneficial to point out where _you_ are sitting, in comparison to _us_." The Doctor frowned.

"Hey, I offered to sit back there. But _no_, you boys just had to be _chivalrous_ for no good reason. That's on you."

"Wait, wait… the front door is opening!" Dean shushed them, glancing back at the house. They whole car quieted down as they watched intently.

The little girl poked her head through and seemed to stare right at them. They all turned to face the front. "Shit, do you think she saw us?"

"It would appear so. She's walking towards the car." Castiel alerted the group.

"What? Should we drive away?"

Castiel shrugged. "I think it's too late for that."

"Apparently five people in an old, recognizable car aren't all that inconspicuous."

The little girl approached the car, hesitantly. She walked up to the front door, and Dean rolled down the window. "Um… hello."

"Hello. I'm Delisha." The girl introduced herself. She stuck her hand out, through the window.

Dean gave a sideways glance to the others, and then accepted her handshake. "Hey, Delisha. I'm Dean."

"Why are you waiting outside my house?"

"Oh, uh…" Dean fumbled around the dashboard and picked up one of his fake IDs. He opened it and handed it to her. "We're with the FBI. We're conducting an investigation. It's nothing to be worried about, it's just… it's classified."

Delisha inspected the ID, running her finger down it as if she would be able to tell the difference between a real and a fake. Apparently satisfied, she handed it back to him. "Can I help?"

Dean thought for a moment. "Yeah, you actually can! Have you noticed anything suspicious in the neighborhood? Any weird strangers hanging around?"

"You mean besides you guys?"

Dean frowned. "Uh, yeah… other than us."

Delisha shook her head. She looked down at the floor. "Is your investigation about the missing kids?"

Dean's eyes widened. Donna popped in. "You know about the kids?" The girl nodded. "Do you have any idea what happened to them?"

"No. But my dad was really worried about it. He told me not to be worried, but… I am."

"Well you don't have anything to be worried about, now. We'll keep you safe." Dean promised. "We'll be right outside, okay? Just… tell us if you see anything weird or suspicious, okay?"

"Okay. I have a little brother, too. You gotta look out for him, too."

Dean nodded. "Of course."


	82. Dissappearing Act

_**Thank you to **_**snowdragon23, Akayuki Novak, **_**and **_**The Best Guest**_**, for your reviews.**_

_**So, **_**snowdragon23, **_**that's a strange German class you've got there.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

"Delisha! Hasan!"

Delisha was sitting on her bed, hovering over her brother. Hasan had one hand on a paper towel as Delisha carefully painted his nails a bright shade of green. His other hand was up in the air as he blew onto in, trying to dry them faster. Delisha's own nails were already orange, and she was struggling to work on her brother's nails without messing up her own.

Despite both of their wet nails, both kids jumped up at the sound of their father's voice coming from the living room. "Daddy!"

Without hesitation they both bolted out into the living room, almost running into each other on the way out the narrow door to Delisha's bedroom, where their dad was setting down his bag. Both kids bowled into him, practically knocking him off of his feet. "Whoa, whoa! You kids are getting too big - soon you're just gonna run me over!"

Cheyenne quickly grabbed her phone and bag, saying her goodbyes to the kids as she left.

Delisha and Hasan giggled, letting go of their father. Hasan looked down at his now smudged nails. "I think I got some green on your shirt, Daddy..."

Delisha laughed as she pointed to a bit of green polish on her Dad's side. He just smiled. "It'll wash out, I'm sure. But what are you two up to, painting your nails this late at night? You should be ready for bed!"

Delisha shook her head. "You said you'd take a walk with us when you got home!" She reminded him of his earlier promise. He didn't get to spend a lot of time with them during the week, and he tried to make it up to them with little adventures when he returned. But sometimes his nights ran too late, and he wasn't able to fulfill those promises.

"Did I? Well, sorry, kiddo, I don't think that's happening, tonight." He frowned at the looks of disappointment spreading across their faces. "What about tomorrow morning, before school? I *_swear_* this time."

Delisha and Hasan exchanged glances, as if they were able to read each other's thoughts. After a few seconds of deliberation, Delisha raised her brow, and Hasan nodded. The little boy looked back to his father. "Pinky swear?" Hasan asked, holding out his pinky.

His father nodded, intertwining his finger with Hasan's. "Pinky swear."

* * *

Delisha was wrapped in her covers, her face buried into the sheets. She was hot and sweating underneath the heavy blanket. She turned onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. Then turned back onto her side. She sighed, knowing that no matter what she did, she wouldn't be able to get comfortable. It was just one of those nights. She glanced over at her alarm clock, which now said 01:28. She had been sleeping restlessly for hours, now. Every time she finally fell asleep, she would wake right back up for no apparent reason. It was exhausting.

She sat up in bed and leaned over to her window. She could see the FBI agent's car still parked outside. She felt a little safer knowing they were out there, available at a moment's notice. She had been wary ever since the kids in her neighborhood started going missing. It had only been a couple so far, but that was enough. She heard about it on the radio, and at school, and from Cheyenne. Everyone was worried about it, but no one could do anything. She hoped the FBI would be better about that.

She wondered if she should mention them to her Dad. After all, it was a little suspicious how they just showed up without warning. If they were such good guys, why wouldn't they just be honest?

She ultimately decided not to concern herself with that. She had seen his badge. They were definitely from the FBI, just like in the movies. They were just undercover – that was totally understandable. And they were going to help keep her and her brother safe. She knew that.

Yet something was bugging her, and she didn't know what.

Delisha pulled the covers off, and stood up. Not wanting to wake anyone, she moved as quietly as possible out of her room, and across the hallway, to Hasan's room. When she reached the door, she was surprised to see it cracked open. Hasan always made a big deal about his door being open when he slept. He couldn't fall asleep if it was open even as much as a sliver.

She creaked the door open wider, squinting to adjust to the dark of his room. As her vision cleared, she could see Hasan in his bed across the room, but there as something else, too. There was a dark, shadowy shape beside his bed. It didn't take her long to realize it was a person.

"Dad?" As she spoke, the figure turned to her, and she realized instantly it was not her father. It was hard to see in the dark, but she could make out long white fangs, glinting in what little moonlight was coming in through the curtains, as well as the whites of it's eyes. "Hasan!" She ran forward, trying to get to her little brother before *it* did. But the creature was faster and stronger than she was. It reached forward and flung her backwards. Delisha felt herself being smashed into the wall behind her.

The creature turned back towards Hasan, and Delisha had to make a quick decision. She knew she couldn't get to her brother with that thing in the way, so there was only one other thing she *could* do.

"AHHH!" Delisha screamed at the top of her lungs, digging deep to get the highest pitch she could. As she screamed, she scrambled up and ran out the room, straight for the front door. She unlocked it, swung it open, preparing to yell for the FBI agents. But by the time she got the door open, they were already there.

The man she talked to last time was first, soon followed by the rest of the group. With no time to explain, Delisha ran back to Hasan's room with them right behind her. But to her dismay, the creature was gone.

"Delisha? Hasan?" Delisha's dad came running towards the room. "What's going on? Who are you? How did you get in my house?"

"Dad!" Delisha pushed past the men to get to her father. She ran up to him, grabbing his hand. "Daddy, come quick!" She pulled him into Hasan's room. "I don't know what happened, Daddy. There was someone in here! It had fangs, and it was over Hasan-"

"Hasan? Where is he?"

One of them agents walked in and flipped on the light switch. The room was completely empty. No creature. No Hasan.


	83. Nancy Drew Without Her Clue Crew

_**To those of you who celebrated it this last Thursday, I hope you had a good Thanksgiving! I know I did.**_

_**Thank you to **_**Akayuki Novak, The Best Guest, **_**and **_**snowdragon23**_** for your reviews.**_

**Snowdragon23, **_**I have not read the book, but I did see the movie, **_**The Martian**_**! It was really good! I meant to read the book later, but I haven't had the chance yet.**_

* * *

"Do you think the kid's okay?" Dean and Castiel were standing off to the side, away from the others. Sam, the Doctor, and Donna were all talking to Delisha and her father, as well as a police officer that had been called to the scene.

Castiel just shook his head. "I have no idea. I suppose it's possible that Lamia doesn't immediately kill her prey. She may store them somewhere."

"Where would she store him?" Dean looked over to Delisha, who was practically hanging off her father's arm. Her face was wet from tears as she told the police officer what she had seen - not that she would believe her. A dark shadowy creature with fangs? No normal officer was going to believe that from a terrified little girl. The only people who were going to believe her were the five of them.

Dean thought back to when he had last talked to Delisha, and he felt a wave of guilt. They were here to protect _her_ \- she was the Tzadikim Nistarim. But she had asked him just one thing: to look after her little brother. That was obviously something Dean could relate to, and yet they still failed. The idea that this kid could be dead - that was a lot to deal with. He didn't think he _could_ deal with that. They _had_ to save her brother. They had to.

"She has to have a base nearby. All the children have gone missing in this general area. That's why we're here to protect Delisha."

"Yeah, and we did one Hell of a job with her brother."

"We'll get him back, Dean." The Doctor intervened, walking over to them. "That's what we do best, right? Hunting down the bad guys, saving kids. We'll find him."

Dean sighed. "Let's hope so. How's the cop taking Delisha's story? You think she'll be of any help?"

The Doctor glanced back over his shoulder. "I don't think so. She thinks he ran away. She's convinced he'll be back on his own."

"Well we know that's not true." Castiel frowned. "We're just going to have to find him ourselves."

* * *

Delisha sat on the couch with her knees up to her chest. The image of the creature kept flashing through her mind. She could see her little brother, still asleep, laying in the bed across the room. What happened to him? What did the creature do with him?

Her father was still talking to the police officer, and two of the FBI agents. She rested her chin on her knees, thinking. She couldn't just sit here while all the adults _talked_. Someone needed to _do_ something.

While everyone else was busy, she snuck past her father and towards Hasan's room. She wandered over to his bed, looking for clues. Surely someone doesn't just _disappear_, just like that. There had to be some clues around.

She pulled the covers off his bed, folding it nicely and laying it on the floor. She picked up the pillows and stuffed animals, but nothing seemed to be out of place. She got down on her hands and knees and peered underneath the bed.

Other than dirty clothes and trash, she found nothing.

Feeling discouraged, Delisha went over to the window. Her eyes fell to a little spot of bright green on the window sill. Her eyes widened. She pressed her finger on it. It was dry, but soft and gooey. She looked down at her own nails. If she had hit her hand in the window sill at the right angle, some of her polish would have fallen off, too.

She heard the door creak behind her. She turned quickly to see the agent she had talked to last night. Dean. He looked around the dark room, and then at her. He must have seen her run into the room by herself.

Delisha stared at him. "I found something."

She feared that the agent would dismiss her and send her back to her dad. So she was pleasantly surprised when he immediately came to her side, ready and willing to see her discovery. "What is it?"

She pointed to the bit of green nail polish. "It's nail polish. It definitely wasn't here, before. She was wearing this last night. I think that means the monster I saw took him through the window."

Dean inspected the polish, nodding. He glanced over at her, smiling. "Good work, detective. I think you're onto something."

Delisha grinned, but it quickly faded. "So does that mean you believe me? About the monster? Because the police woman doesn't. She thinks I imagined it."

"Trust me, you didn't imagine anything. I believe you."

Delisha nodded, feeling relieved. She looked back to the polish. "So this helps, right? This will help us figure out where he went?"

"It gives us a starting point. Me and - uh, the other agents- will have to keep searching for clues."

"Well, I want to help." Delisha insisted. "I found this clue! I can find more."

Dean frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea. You should stay with your dad - you'll be safer that way."

"But Hasan won't be!" Delisha argued, tears forming in her eyes. "I know him better than anyone else in the whole world! What if he left us a clue? Maybe he's looking for me! I have to try! I can't just..."

"Delisha, look at me." Dean knelt down in front of her so they were at eye-level. He put his hand on her shoulder, comfortingly. "Believe me when I tell you I understand how you feel. One of the other agents - you know, the really tall one with long hair?" Delisha nodded, sniffling. "He's _my _little brother. And if he went missing like that, I would want to do everything within my power to find him."

"Exactly!"

"But, that doesn't mean I should. You're lucky, Delisha, you wanna know why?"

Delisha pursed her lips. "Why?"

"Because you have the best people in the _entire universe_ that you could, looking for Hasan. And I promise you - we are _going _to find him. The best thing you could do is stay here, with your father. He's worried, too, you know. You have to be there for each other. Okay?"

Delisha considered what she was being told. She looked into his eyes, and she could tell he was being honest. That pain that she had seen in him earlier, she could now tell that it had _something_ to do with his brother. "I guess so... You're sure you're the best?"

Dean laughed. "I can guarantee it."

The agent went back to the others, supposedly to collect his friends and go find a trail. Delisha figured she _should_ do as he said, and stay behind. But she knew the neighborhood better than anyone else, and she knew her brother better than anyone else. She would find him, herself.


	84. Let's Split Up, Gang

**_Thank you to _snowdragon23, The Best Guest, _and _lexieconextreme _for your reviews. I'm glad you guys are liking this arc!_**

* * *

The group followed Dean out to the side of the house. "Lamia definitely dragged him out the window, here. The next question is where she went after that."

"She's not human - but she isn't magical, either. She'd have to take him on foot." Castiel explained. "Even in the middle of the night, she couldn't get too far with a struggling child."

"You think she's hiding out in a house around here?" Dean asked. "Are there any empty or abandoned houses nearby?"

Donna shook her head. "I asked the father about that. I asked him if there was any place around here that someone may be able to hide out until then coast was clear. He said no."

"It doesn't hurt to do our own investigation," Sam pointed out. "We should split up and search the area for anywhere Lamia could be hiding."

"Splitting up. Excellent. That always turns out well." The Doctor said, dryly.

"Dean, you and the Doctor can take the east side, Donna, Castiel, and I can take the west."

"Sounds good to me." Dean nodded, looking around for the approval of the rest of the group. When no one complained, they set off on their separate ways to look for any sign of Lamia or Hasan.

* * *

Delisha's father was worried.

He had every right to be. Ever since the passing of his wife, he had been frightened of some disease taking another member of his family away from him, again. But his sin disappearing in the middle of the night? His daughter swearing it was a real life monster? He hadn't expected that at all.

He spoke to the police officer, as well as to the FBI agents. He was concerned at first at how quickly they got there, but it was soon explained to him that they had been staking out, trying to find the other missing children. The idea that his son may be just the next one on that list frightened him.

"Don't worry, sir. I promise you - we are going to find your son." The female agent reassured him. She was being kind, and he appreciated that, but it didn't make him feel all that much better.

Still, he nodded thankfully. "I appreciate that. Please, be quick. I don't know what I'd do if he..." He let his voice trail off, and the other officers nodded in understanding.

"We're going to everything we can." The police officer assured. "I'm going to contact the station to submit a missing persons report, now. I'll leave you with the agents."

As she left, one of the agents also left, leaving him with just the woman and the tallest one. "I'm sorry, I didn't get your names."

"I'm Agent Richards, and this is Agent Jett." The man explained, smiling.

"And there's... five of you, correct? Don't get me wrong, I appreciate you being here, but, why so many officers for just one missing person? And how did you get here so quickly?"

"We were already in the area. We're investigating the other missing children cases in the neighborhood. We believe that Hasan's disappearance is directly related." Agent Jett explained. She seemed a little nervous to Delisha's father, but the other the other man seemed confident, enough.

"Do you have any idea at all, what happened to the other children?"

"We have some leads, yes," Agent Richards nodded. "But we don't have any solid information. Hopefully your son will be able to lead us to the kidnappers' hideout, as well as the other kids. We'll let you know more when we have new information. But for now – do you mind if I ask you a few more questions?"

"No, of course. Anything that can help."

"Have you noticed anything odd with Hasan, lately? Has he had any concerns about other adults in the area, maybe? Has he seemed worried, recently?"

"No, not that I know of. Cheyenne – their babysitter – might know more. She's with them more often than I am, most days."

"What about you? Have you noticed anything off in the neighborhood? Anything strange?"

"Not that I can think of. Not much happens in this neighborhood. A couple months ago, Ms. Angelis moved in a couple blocks away and _that _was a big deal. As long as I've lived here, I've never seen anything like this."

"And who is Ms. Angelis?" Jett asked.

Delisha's father frowned. "She's just a neighbor. I don't know much about her. She's just a little old woman, really. She mostly keeps to herself. Why do you ask?"

"Just inquiring."

"We should be getting back to our partners. We'll let you know if we find anything," Richards promised.

"Of course. Thank you."

The agents left the house, off to do their own investigation. He noticed one of the other agents leaving Hasan's bedroom. He went to take a look, himself, and found Delisha, sitting by the window. "Delisha, sweetheart, what are you doing in here?"

Delisha turned to her father. Her eyes were wet, but she wasn't crying yet. "I was helping Dean find Hasan. I can help, Daddy, I can."

"Is that the officers' name, Dean?" Delisha nodded. "Well, Delisha, I'm sure he can do his job just fine. He's been doing this a long time. He'll find your brother, I know it." He sat down on Hasan's bed and called her over. Delisha took another quick glance out the window before going over to him. She sat down beside him and laid her head against his chest. "Come on, now. You should be getting to sleep, don't you think? We'll talk more in the morning."

"I guess…"

Delisha let her father lead her to her own room, and tuck her in. She curled up underneath the covers and said goodnight. But as soon as he closed the door and turned off the light, she shot right back up. She ran over to her closet, and as quietly as she could, she changed into long-sleeved black shirt and black pants. He pulled her shoes onto her feet, and grabbed a Barbie flashlight from inside her desk.

She creaked open her door, relieved to hear her father close the door to his own bedroom, indicating that he had gone to bed, as well. She tip-toed across the house to the front door, and slipped outside.

"Come on, Hasan… leave me a clue, please…" Delisha went around the house to Hasan's window and tried to find more clues of where he might have been taken. Unfortunately, she couldn't find anything else to indicate that the monster had gone this way.

But she wasn't going to be deterred. She knew her way around the neighborhood, and she knew the best ways to cross it quickly. She remembered back to the first time she had talked to Dean. He and the other agents had been here to search for the other missing kids. The monster had been around the neighborhood for some time, now. Chances were, it knew it's way around, too. So… where would it go, next?

She closed her eyes and tried to imagine that _she_ was the monster. She had just gotten Hasan, and she knew that she had been seen. She had to get back to her hideout, and quick. She opened her eyes, and noticed a hole in the fence, leading to behind the house. She and Hasan had used hole often when playing hide and seek outside. It led to a pretty good hiding spot.

She walked over to it. It looked bigger than she had remembered. She got down on her hands and knees and crawled through it, getting to the other side. Normally, when she was playing, she would run left and hide behind the large rocks. But the rocks wouldn't be a good hiding spot for the monster, at all. Hasan would be making too much noise. So instead, she turned right.

"Don't worry, Hasan. I'm coming for you."


	85. And How Does That Make You Feel?

_**Thank you to **_**lexieconextreme, snowdragon23,****Akayuki Novak, **_**and**_** The Best Guest **_**for your reviews. **_

_**To **_**snowdragon23, **_**I didn't do anything for P4A this year. Tbh I'm not entirely sure what it's for.**_

_**Also, feel free to skip this if you want because it has nothing to do with the fic, but I just finished my final exams for my first ever semester of college! I'm pretty excited, and glad to have it over with. Anyway, thanks for your continued support, and I hope you enjoy the next chapter!**_

* * *

Sam led Donna and Castiel through the streets. He had his eyes peeled for any signs of Lamia, but he wasn't so sure what he was looking for. "Cas, do we know exactly what she looks like? Or how to pick up any signs from her?"

Castiel paused from his conversation with Donna. The conversation was a bit one-sided, though, with Donna doing most of the talking. "The lore is not clear. Some say that she appears as an old woman, and can transform into a serpent. Others say she's young and beautiful, but becomes evil and horrid-looking as she attacks."

"So basically we have nothing. Great."

Donna pursed her lips for a moment, and Sam could tell she had something on her mind. "What is it, Donna? Did you notice something?"

"Not necessarily, but… I was just thinking about what Delisha's father said. You said she _could_ look like an old woman. What about that woman he was talking about, who moved into the neighborhood just before all the kids went missing?"

"Ms. Angelis?" Sam recalled the woman's name.

"Yes, her. Do you think she's worth checking out?"

"Angelis _is_ a Greek name," Castiel pointed out. "Maybe we should find her house and pay her a visit."

Sam nodded. "Alright, let's go."

* * *

Dean and the Doctor walked down the road, side by side. Even though they were on important business, it was still nice to have the Doctor by Dean's side. His old friend's presence made him feel calm for the first time in a long time. It was nice to just forget about all the Hell he had been going through lately, but, of course, the Doctor wasn't the kind to just leave that alone.

"So, Dean. If you don't mind me asking - and I know you don't - why were you out, without your brother, getting so drunk that you'd call me and not even remember doing so?" The Doctor wasn't trying to be judgmental. He was simply curious, and just a little worried about him. He knew Dean to be a drinker, but this was different.

Dean made a face, looking around, anywhere but at the Doctor. "It's just been a tough time, Doc. I mean, when is it not, right?" Dean hoped that he'd just drop it, but the Doctor wasn't stupid, and he wasn't easily mislead.

The Doctor frowned. His hands were in his pockets as he walked. "Don't be offended or anything, but I'm getting the feeling that this time is different."

"It's stupid, really. It's something between Sam and me. He just... Look, it's a really long story."

The Doctor shrugged, glancing around at the empty streets. It was just around three in the morning, now, and the only light was from the flickering street lights. The dim lighting gave the Doctor an eerie feeling that he figured fit the situation quite well. "It seems like we have some time."

Dean let out an exasperated sigh. "Alright, fine. So... Long story short, Sam and I got a little glimpse of our personal Heavens about a week ago." Long story was that it was more than just a glimpse. After getting shot and killed by a couple disgruntled hunters, both Sam and Dean had ended up in their separate Heavens and had to find each other, again. Castiel was able to guide them through Heaven via the Axis Mundi and, after quite a few road blocks, made it to The Garden.

The Garden was in the center of Heaven, where the angel Joshua hung out. Joshua could supposedly talk to God, and had some words of advice for the Winchesters – even if they didn't turn out to be particularly helpful.

But none of that was important for the Doctor to know. Dean could deal with all this angel drama on his own. He could live with Zachariah's bullshit without help. He was even (semi) confident that he and the rest of "Team Free Will" would be able to stop Lucifer and Michael from making the Earth their bitch, and sending the world into the apocalyptic future that Zachariah had shown Dean not long ago. The thing he was having so much trouble with was the ripping open of an old wound. Sam's leaving.

"Basically, Heaven is just a place where you live out your best memories. You know, all the good times that stick with you." The Doctor nodded, considering what his Heaven would like. Over 9000 years he had accumulated a lot of good memories, even if he had a lot of bad ones, as well. "Like, when I woke up, I was in the field where Sammy and I set off fireworks for the Fourth of July when he was just a kid."

The Doctor smiled at the sudden light in Dean's eyes. As he remembered that fond memory, his face immediately brightened. The Doctor could tell how much that day must have met to him. He wished he could see that look on Dean's face more often. "That sounds nice."

"It was. It was Heaven, after all. But… It wasn't real. It was just a memory. But that's not the point. That was my Heaven. But then I went and found Sam in his own, and... Well, it was a lot different."

"How so?"

"All his greatest memories, they were all... Every single one was from a time he was with someone else's family. When he was pretending to have someone else's life. Someone else's Thanksgiving. That time he ran away in Flagstaff. Even the day he left for Stanford!"

The Doctor put his hand on Dean's shoulder. He could have seen this coming. "He didn't like this life, Dean. You know that. But that doesn't have anything to do with you. You didn't choose the life you've lived. And you didn't choose Sam's."

"I know that, Doc, but still... It's not like my Heaven was full of hunting. It's not like I want this. But I'm not running away from it. I'm not running away from h-" Dean cut himself off, holding out his hand to stop the Doctor from walking. The Doctor stopped and followed Dean's eyes. "Looks like the kind of place I'd hang out if I was taking kids in this neighborhood."

The house they were staring at had obviously been empty for months. The grass was almost at knee height, and a long forgotten For Sale sign was sitting crooked at the front. The Doctor nodded. "I guess we should investigate, huh?"

"Yeah, I'll text Sam and let him know."


	86. The Virgin Mary Statue

_**Thanks to**_** snowdragon23, lexieconextreme, The Best Guest, Akayuki Novak, **_**and**_** Guest for your reviews! And to lexiconextreme, _I would LOVE to have Charlie meet the Doctor. I absolutely adore Charlie, and you can be sure she'll be making an appearance in this story._**

* * *

Donna was the first one to knock on the door. They weren't going to knock, it being only five in the morning, but all the lights on the inside of the house was on. The sound of a television was easily heard as they approached the front door. The house was well kept and a muted shade of pink. There were lush bushes lining the sidewalk up to the front steps, all full of flowers. There was a statue of the Virgin Mary sitting by the door. Sam noticed a small crack along the base of it, and some slight discoloring. There was a section of her pink dress that was darker than the rest. "This doesn't really ring Greek Goddess, to me," Donna commented under her breath, grabbing his attention away from the statue.

"Not a Goddess, technically." Castiel corrected her. "But I do agree. This looks like an unlikely place for such a monster to live in."

Sam just shrugged. "Trust me, I've seen it all. There are monsters in the most unlikely pl-"

He was cut off by the sound of the front door unlocking. All three of them straightened their backs, and Sam got ready to pull out his FBI badge. The door opened slowly, exposing a small older woman who couldn't have been more than five feet tall. She adjusted her glasses and stared up at the three agents. "Hello. May I help you?"

Sam was ready to respond, first. "Yes, ma'am, hopefully you can." He pulled out his badge and stuck it out to her. She reached out and took it from him, examining it, closely. "We're in the neighborhood, investigating the missing children from the area. May we come in?"

* * *

The Doctor stood behind Dean, who was kneeling in front of the door, picking the lock. "You about done there?" The Doctor asked, impatiently. He felt nervous breaking in to the house this way. He was used to flashing his psychic paper and using his charisma and charm to get into places he wasn't supposed to be – he wasn't accustomed to picking locks and sneaking around in the dark. "I thought you were a professional."

Dean scoffed, but didn't glance up from his work. "Give me a minute, would ya? This ain't as easy as it looks." As he spoke, the Doctor heard a clicking sound, indicating the job was done. "See? I got it done." Dean stood, hovering one hand over his gun, instinctively, and using the other to open the door. "You ready, Doc?"

The Doctor nodded. "Let's go."

The two men entered the room, both on guard. The house was dark, and it was hard to see where they were. The Doctor pressed his palm against the wall and slid down, looking for a light switch. When he found one, he flipped it up, but nothing happened. "The electricity isn't working," The Doctor whispered.

Dean now had his gun completely out, pointed and ready to shoot at a moment's notice. As they made their way across the room, their eyes began to adjust to the light.

As it turned out, there wasn't a lot in their way. The house seemed to be completely empty, void of any objects, and of any life other than their own. "Well, Doc, this may have been a waste."

The Doctor frowned, peering around a corner. "I suppose you're right." He then froze, his face twisting as he concentrated.

"What is it Doc?"

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"I think it was coming from outside." The Doctor moved back into the living room and pulled back one of the blinds. He couldn't see anything outside. "Hm, maybe it was my imagination."

"I don't think so, Doctor."

"Yeah, me neither. I just figured I'd say it to calm the tension. I think we've been followed."

"By who? Lamia?"

The Doctor shrugged. He stayed by the window as Dean moved into one of the other rooms, just to be sure. He was gone for maybe 30 seconds when he heard a thud coming from the living room. "Doctor? Doctor!" He rushed back into the room, only to see the Doctor splayed out on the ground. Dean ran to him, kneeling down beside him. There was a little bit of blood on the back of his head, where he had obviously been hit. "Doc, can you hear me?"

Suddenly, he heard a shuffling noise behind him, but by the time he turned around, wielding his gun, it was already too late. "What the h-" The last thing he saw before blacking out was the passive face of the virgin Mary.

* * *

"I'm a little worried about Dean," Sam whispered to the others as Ms. Angelis got drinks for them. "He texted me almost two hours ago saying he and the Doctor were following up on a lead, and he hasn't texted back since."

"Oi, you know Dean. He's probably fine, and just isn't checking his phone." Donna waved off his concern, sure of her faith in the two of them. "Dean and the Doctor are quite capable on their own – I'm sure even more so when they are together."

That unintentionally struck a chord in Sam, who had just recently been arguing with Dean after they both had a glimpse at Sam's heaven.

The last time Sam had seen the Doctor, he asked for forgiveness for how he had treated the Doctor in the past. He had always been a little jealous of the Doctor's relationship with Dean after Dean kept it a secret for so long. But at their last meeting, they had worked it out, and he had hoped that things would be easier between them now.

But with him and Dean fighting, he couldn't help the twinge of jealousy arising again. The whole point of having them go off on their own was so Sam could prove to himself that he was over it – but so far he hadn't convinced even himself.

"Sorry for the wait, everyone." Ms. Angelis walked in, carrying a tray of glasses. She placed it on the table and handed each person a glass. "So, what exactly do you need from little old me?" She asked, sitting back onto her pink reclining chair.

"Have you seen anything unusual, lately? Anything that may spark suspicion?" Donna asked, getting the hang of this whole FBI agent gig.

Ms. Angelis thought for a moment before shaking her head. "No, I can't say I have. I haven't been in this neighborhood long, but it's been rather peaceful for as long as I have."

"You mean other than the children being kidnapped?" Castiel asked, squinting his eyes.

Ms. Angelis looked at him, cautiously. "Yes, I suppose other than that."

"Do you have any idea at all who may be taking the children?" Sam inquired, trying to get her attention away from Castiel.

"Oh, goodness, no. I have no clue who would want to hurt those poor children. Everyone in this town is so kind, and caring! I can't imagine who could be secretly so cruel!" As she spoke, Ms. Angelis had one hand on her heart, and she looked up at one of the (many) pictures of Jesus she had on her wall.

Suddenly, all four jumped at the sound of a car alarm blaring from outside. "Oh goodness!" Ms. Angelis stood and walked over to the window. "It must be Mr. Johnson's car! I don't see anyone out there, though. It's probably a false alarm."

The other three exchanged glances.

"Oh, there he is!" The car alarm turned off just as abruptly as it had started. "Yup, false alarm, indeed. Sorry about that." She returned to her seat, and after a moment, looked expectantly at the others.

Finally, Sam piped up. "Ms. Angelis, do you know Delisha and Hasan? They don't live far from here, with their father."

Ms. Angelis nodded. "Yes, I do. Very sweet kids. It's a shame about their mother, though. Why, is something wrong?"

Sam sighed. "Actually, Hasan went missing only a few hours ago. Have you seen him or anyone else out late tonight?"

"Why, no, I haven't! I wake up early, yes, but not that early! I've only been awake an hour, and I rarely look outside at the street. I'm afraid if he passed by I wouldn't even notice."

Of course. Do you-" Sam was cut off by the sound of shattering glass from one of the other rooms. "What was that?"

Ms. Angelis quickly stood, but motioned for them to stay seated. "Oh, don't worry about that. It's probably just the cat. I'll go take care of it." She shuffled off into the other room, leaving the three alone again.

"Do you think we should be worried about that?" Donna asked, quietly.

Before anyone could reply, a harsh scream rang out through the house, sending the three fake FBI agents out of their seats, and into the room Ms. Angelis had entered.


	87. Childhood Ruined

_**Thank you to **_**The Best Guest**_** for your review. I'm glad you're enjoying it!**_

_**Also, to anyone who celebrates it, Merry Christmas! I won't be posting again until after the holiday is over, so I might as well say it now. Happy Holidays, everyone! Hope you have a good time with family, friends, or just you!**_

* * *

Delisha had been wandering for quite some time, now. She had followed all sorts of leads – gone everywhere she thought the monster might go – but had so far come up empty handed. She was tired and dirty by now, and all she really wanted was to go back home. But she couldn't just give up on Hasan like that.

She hoped that her dad hadn't gone in to check on her, at all, like he used to do when she was little. She hoped he was too tired, too stressed, and too worried about Hasan to remember old traditions like that one. She used to appreciate it, and really she did now, too. But all it would do right now was cause more trouble, and she didn't want to cause any more trouble.

She decided to take a break, and sat down underneath a tree. The bark was rough on her back, but she didn't care at this point. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She mindlessly picked at the grass beneath her, trying to clear her mind for just a little while.

She didn't know how much time had passed before she awoke. The sun still wasn't up, but a soft orange light was not threatening the horizon. She stood up, brushing herself off, quickly. She had wasted too much time, now, and it was close to morning. Her dad would be awake, soon, and she had to be there when he came into her room.

She started back to her house, cutting through backyards to get there faster. She almost passed by one house she recognized to be Ms. Angelis', but something made her stop. She froze in the middle of the backyard and strained to hear the noise again. At first she heard nothing, and she thought she had imagined it. But the second time she knew it must have been real.

She followed the noise to Ms. Angelis' house. There was a window that faced the backyard. The blinds were drawn shut, but there was a little sliver that she could look into.

She couldn't help the gasp that escaped her lips when her eyes fell onto Dean, tied to a chair against the far wall. Beside him was one of the other agents, who was also tied up. Both of them were gagged, but they appeared to be awake. They seemed to be struggling against their bonds, trying to escape.

She tapped on the window, lightly. Both men looked toward her, but it didn't seem like either one could see her through the blinds.

She had to think quickly. She could break the window, but that would certainly bring attention to her, and that was not what she wanted. She needed a distraction so that no one could hear her.

She scanned the area for something - anything - to make a lot of noise. She noticed a potted plant with some pebbles in the pot. She grabbed a handful of them, and then ran into the front yard. She tossed a few at the neighbor's car. The first one missed, whipping past the car and landing in the grass behind it. The second one nailed one of the doors, and car alarm immediately went off.

She ran back as fast as she could, and then threw another one at the window. The glass cracked with a small sound. She threw another, and another, and finally, at the third one, the glass broke through completely.

The car alarm was still blaring as she reached her arm through the whole and unlocked the window. She opened it and looked into the room at the two agents. They both looked shocked to see her. She quickly crawled through the window, her body being just small enough to fit through without much resistance.

The room seemed to be a disused bedroom. There was a twin sized bed in the middle, stripped of its sheets. There seemed to be a lot of furniture and stuff around the edges of the room, but it was dark, and her mind was focused on the agents. As soon as she was inside, she ran over to Dean and pulled the gag from his mouth.

"Delisha! What are you doing here?" He whispered as she bent to untie him. "You're putting yourself in danger!"

"I was trying to help!" She heard the car alarm turn off, outside, making her gulp. Once he was freed, she turned to help the other agent, but Dean stopped her. He pointed to something behind her. Her eyes followed where he was pointing to. As she looked around, she realized for the first time that some of the furniture she thought she had seen against the wall were actually chairs with people strapped to them. She instantly recognized three of the four as kids from around her neighborhood – the ones who had gone missing. But the one on the far right, next to a bookshelf… "Hasan!"

She ran to him, relief flooding over her as she looked him up and down. She removed the gag from his mouth and hugged him tightly. "Delisha… you came to get me!"

Delisha nodded, tears forming in her eyes. "Let's get you out of here, little brother." She leaned in to untie his hands, but as she did so, her elbow knocked into the bookshelf. Before she could do anything, an old, dusty glass vase tipped over on the top shelf, and rolled right off. It hit the ground with a loud shatter.

She looked to Dean to see what to do, but he seemed dumbfounded for a second. He had been halfway done untying the other agent. Finally, he seemed to snap out of it. "Get back over here!" He motioned for her to come to him, and away from the door.

But she couldn't just leave Hasan. "Wait!" She went to untie him again, but that's when Ms. Angelis barged in through the bedroom door.

Delisha let out a high-pitched wail as Ms. Angelis grabbed her. She wrapped one arm around her waist and arm, and the other one dug into her face. Dean went to lurch forward, but it was too late. He didn't have his weapon, and she already had Delisha.

Delisha could kind of see Ms. Angelis from the side. She watched in horror as fingernails started to grow, and her teeth became fangs. She was watching the sweet old lady from down the block turn into a monster right in front of her eyes.

Dean held up his hands. "Hey, let her go. You don't want to hurt her."

Ms. Angelis snarled, but to Delisha it sounded more like a snake hissing. "If you don't want me to hurt her, you better not take one more step forward, young man. Or else we're going to have some issues."

"Put her down!" Delisha recognized the voice as one of the other agents. The other three FBI agents entered the bedroom, guns drawn. They were pointed at Ms. Angelis. "I will not hesitate to shoot you."

"Will you, now?" Delisha felt the cold fangs against her neck, but they didn't press down. "You won't be able to shoot me fast enough. She'll be dead before she hits the ground."


	88. Tzadikim Nistarim

**_Thank you to _snowdragon23, The Best Guest, Guest, _and _milkysurpernova _for your reviews._**

**_I hope everyone had a nice holiday season, and a happy new year! I hope you enjoy the first update in 2016! Whoo!_**

* * *

Sam held his gun pointed at Ms. Angelis, which they now knew was Lamia. She no longer looked like the little old lady she used to. She looked like a human-serpent hybrid with sharp fangs pointed at Delisha's neck. The poor girl looked frightened out of her mind.

Donna looked around the room and had to hold back a gasp at the children tied up along the wall. They must have been the missing children from the neighborhood. She also saw the Doctor tied up near Dean.

"You fellas are causing quite a lot of trouble for me." Lamia growled, tightening her grip on Delisha.

"That's what we're best at." Dean shot her a forced smile that quickly faded away. "Why don't you let her go, huh? Then we could talk about all of this, reasonably."

"Oh please," Lamia rolled her eyes. "I have children tied up in this room, preparing for a midnight snack. I'm no fool. You're not going to let me go. And I'm not going to let_ you_ go. So we've come to a standstill."

Delisha squirmed beneath her. She looked to Hasan, who looked terrified. She couldn't blame him. She felt the same way. This whole time she had been on this mission to save him. She told herself that she could be strong, and that she wouldn't get scared and back down. Until this moment, she had been wrong. She had to make things right, now. She had to be better, for her baby brother.

"Lamia," Lamia turned to Sam as he spoke her name, obviously surprised they knew who she was. "Trust me, you don't want to hurt her."

"Oh, really? And why is that? Am I going to feel bad, after? Racked with guilt, right? I don't think so."

"You don't understand. Have you ever heard of the Tzadikim Nistarim? The special children?"

Lamia squinted, distrustfully. "I've been around a long time. I've heard rumors. But that's all they were: rumors. I won't fall for your tricks."

"They were a lot more than rumors." Donna took a step forward. "They're real. And Delisha is one of them."

"If you kill her, you doom us _all_. Yourself included. We don't know the full consequences of something happening to her," Castiel warned. "You don't want to test that, do you?"

"Even _if_ I believed you, I certainly don't believe in your petty God, raining Hell down on us all, just because I killed one of his _precious_. I've been taking his children for centuries, and so far he's done nothing. You must take me for a fool if you thought this would trick me."

"We aren't trying to trick you, lady! Or... Whatever the hell you are," Dean rolled his eyes from across the room. "We're trying to stop you from killing us all. Just let the girl go, and then we can talk."

Lamia paused, considering her options, but she didn't have very much time. Delisha, who was still in Lamia's grasp, was terrified and confused about the conversation going on around her. She had no idea what they were talking about. She wasn't special, was she? She couldn't be! What was all this nonsense about God's children? All she wanted was her brother back, and safe from this _monster_. Seeing no other way out, Delisha took the opportunity to adjust herself slightly, and then bit down on Lamia's hand as hard as she could, drawing blood.

Lamia screamed, instinctively trying to pull her arm away from Delisha. Delisha opened her jaw and pushed away, running straight for Dean. Dean picked her up and backed away, getting her out of danger.

Sam immediately shot his gun, and the bullet pierced through Lamia's chest. Lamia let out a grunt, but was otherwise unaffected by the wound. "You fool. You think your human weapons can kill me? I've been around too long for that. I'm _immortal_."

"No, you really aren't. But I am." Castiel lunged forward, arm outstretched. Dean shielded Delisha's eyes as a bright blast of light shot out of the angel's hand as he smited Lamia. Lamia let out a high-pitched wail as she fell to her knees. When Castiel retracted his hand, her eyes were now just burnt black holes, and she slumped to the ground, dead.

For a moment, everyone stood in silence, taking I what just happened. But as everyone came to their senses, they realized there was a lot to be done, now that Lamia was dead.

"Hasan!" Delisha jumped out of Dean's arms and ran to her brother. Tears were streaming down her face as she untied him from the chair. "It's okay. She's gone, now. You're safe." Hasan wrapped his arms around his big sister, and Delisha held on tight. No one bothered them as they reunited.

The rest of them got to work untying the rest of the children while Donna called the real police to take them home. Once the police arrived, Dean offered to drive Delisha and Hasan back to their father.

The children sat alone in the backseat as they drove, neither of them wanting to leave each other's side. "Thank you for finding him." Delisha smiled.

"Thank you for finding me." Dean laughed. "You're a real good kid, Delisha. You both are. And you're a really good big sister."

"Dean… was it true, what they were saying about me? About being a special child, or whatever?"

Dean sighed, unsure of what to say. He knew she deserved the truth, but that doesn't mean it was best for her to hear it. Sometimes it was better to believe the lies. Dean knew that from experience. But still, he couldn't lie to her. Not after all that she had done. "Yeah… yeah it is."

Delisha nodded, but said nothing.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm just… confused."

"I know. It doesn't always make sense. But you've seen a lot of crazy shit today. Excuse my language, sorry. It will get easier, trust me."

Dean pulled into the driveway where their father was already waiting after the police contacted him. Hasan was the first one out of the car. He ran over to his father who greeted him with open arms. "Hasan! I'm so glad you're okay! I was so worried!"

Dean and Delisha got out next. Dean reached into the car and searched through the glove compartment for a piece of paper and a pen. "Delisha, wait." He scribbled down something real quick, and handed it to her. "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call. Okay?"

Delisha nodded, smiling. Without warning, she reached out and hugged Dean. "Thank you for everything."

"Of course."

* * *

"Thanks for helping us, guys." Sam thanked the Doctor and Donna.

"I'm just glad we could help." Donna smiled. "And I'm glad those kids are safe."

"And it was quite the adventure, as always," The Doctor added.

"Well, thanks for stopping by. I'm sure we'll see each other again, soon." Dean hugged Donna goodbye. "Even if it's not, you know, us."

"Of course. I'm sure of it." Donna agreed.

Everyone said their goodbyes, and Donna and the Doctor were on their way, back into the unknown. Castiel left, as well. He had a lot of work to do, with the apocalypse hanging over their shoulders and all.

As for Sam and Dean… things had been rather awkward between them before. But now, with the excitement of all that had happened in the last few days, it was seemingly back to normal. They felt like brothers again, and things were good.

But that didn't last forever. Lucifer was getting closer and closer to his battle with Michael that would destroy half the planet. The Winchester's had to work against both angels and demons to stop that from happening. In the coming months they would do their best, but it wouldn't be enough. In the end, the only way to win and stop the apocalypse was to make a sacrifice. Sam.

When Sam jumped into the pit, he saved the world from certain destruction. But he also left behind a big brother who couldn't imagine life without him. Dean would eventually find his lost love, Lisa, and go to her. But that wasn't the first person he went to for help.


	89. Swan Song: Epilogue

_**Thank you to **_**Guest **_**and **_**The Best Guest **_**for your reviews. This one's a little shorter, so I figured I'd release it earlier than usual. Plus it's more explanation than action. I wanted to explain what was happening in Dean's mind after season 5 comes to a close. The end of season 5 in the show really changes the whole feel of the show, to me, anyway. So, I hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

Sam was gone.

The scars from Dean's face were gone, thanks to Castiel. The blood had vanished. Yet Dean could still feel the sting of the marks, and the warmth of the blood on his skin. And Sam was gone.

It wasn't just his body that ached, but his mind, and his heart. He was exhausted both physically and mentally from the trials he had gone through to get to where he was, now. He had faced demons twisted and tormented in Hell, and he made it through, alive. He had faced angels with power unlike any other living creature Dean had ever come across, and he told them to fuck off. He faced the Devil himself, in all his glory, and won. And Sam was gone.

He watched his little brother, who hadn't been little for a long time, sacrifice his own life, his own _existence_, in order to save the world. It hurt to think about. It hurt even more to know that he would have done the same thing, had their positions been switched. It hurt to think that he might have accidentally passed along that self-destructive hero-complex on to his brother. Maybe this was all just a matter of time.

Dean had made a promise to Sam, before it all. He promised to find Lisa. To try and be happy, even if every fiber in his body told him he'd never be truly happy again. He _had_ to keep his promise to Sam. How could he go against his brother's last wishes for him? Yet at the same time, he knew, deep down, he wouldn't be happy with Lisa. He loved her, and he loved Ben, but that life wasn't meant for him. He could try and force it, but it would only make things worse.

So who, exactly, could make him happy, again? Who could heal the deep wound festering inside, eating away at him? Who could even come close to filling the whole that Sam had left when he jumped into that pit?

The answer, of course, was no one. No one could replace Sam, of course. Sam was his brother. His family. And he had lost him. No one would make up for that, but… that didn't mean he shouldn't try.

There was one other person who had always been there for him. Who had always answered his calls, always came when he needed him to. The Doctor.

It was a hard phone call to make. As he spoke, he wondered if the Doctor already knew about this. Did he know that this was destined to happen? Had he already witnessed Dean, post-Sam? He had a lot of questions, but they were questions he knew not to ask. Not only were they against every time travelling rule in the book, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

As always, the Doctor came. Dean heard the TARDIS and for the first time, it left him feeling a little empty. There wasn't the same joy inside him that usually accompanied that sound. It wasn't the same. But there was something else bubbling inside him. He couldn't quite tell what it was. Excitement? Longing? Fear? It felt like a strange combination of them all, and he didn't know what to do with that.

Dean found the blue Police Box on the side of the road, not far from Stull Cemetery. Dean had never wanted to be farther away from one single place as his did this one. Luckily, this blue box could take him farther away than he could ever drive in the Impala.

The door opened slowly and the Doctor stepped out, his face full of sorrow. He stood beside the TARDIS as if he wasn't sure if he should make the first move or not.

Dean stared at the Doctor as he stared back. He started to understand the emotion he had felt at the sight of the TARDIS. It wasn't that same rush of adrenaline and excitement he usually felt. It wasn't the longing to see the universe that he had tried so hard to stifle. It wasn't the fear that normally came with his trips with the Doctor; the fear that he would leave and never come back, whether by choice or not.

Instead, it was the same feeling he felt as a child when his mother tucked him into bed, saying, "Angels are watching over you." It was the same feelings he felt sitting in the passenger side of the Impala beside his father, as they drove from town to town, listing to the radio. It was the same feeling he felt sitting in Bobby's living room, drinking beer, and finally feeling at home.

It was love. Maybe it wasn't quite as strong as it was with Sam, and it probably never would be. But the Doctor was family, and he had been for a long, long time. These adventures they had were fun. They were thrilling in ways he could never experience on Earth. But they weren't the real reason he was so excited to hear the TARDIS' sound. They weren't the real reason he could hold back the smile on his face when the Doctor stepped out. The Doctor _was_ the reason. It was just nice to be with family, again.

So even though Dean was totally distraught and heartbroken over what had happened, when his eyes met the Doctor, he once again couldn't find it in him to hold back a grin. It was weak, but it was real. His eyes brightened up just a little bit. And even though his body still ached, his mind and heart started to feel a little bit better.

He would go to Lisa, he decided. He would follow through on his promise, and he would try to make an apple-pie suburban life work. Maybe he would like it. Maybe he'd enjoy being a husband, and a father. Maybe he'd even have a kid of his own.

He would do all of that… but later. Because for now, he needed comfort. Comfort that Lisa would not be able to give him. He needed family, right now, and he needed to get away from this place. And the Doctor was the best way to do that.

"Hey, Doc."


	90. Never Enough

_**Thank you to **_**The Best Guest, snowdragon23, **_**and J**_**aden Xiang **_**for your reviews.**_

**Snowdragon23, **_**congrats on your fanart! I'd love to see it sometime!**_

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The Doctor was alone. Martha had not left all too long ago, but he had yet to pick up Donna, again. He was flying solo, and so he wasn't disappointed in the slightest to get a phone call from Dean. That was, until he actually _answered_ the call.

Poor, poor Sam.

Sure, he and the Doctor didn't always get along, but the Doctor thought highly of the boy. And that's all he really was, a boy. The Doctor had a bit of a bias towards Dean at times, but there was no denying that Sam was just as brave, just as strong, and just as hurt as his big brother. And now he had made the ultimate sacrifice, and gave up his life to save the world.

Quite the noble pursuit.

And while the Doctor wanted to grieve for the boy, he knew he couldn't. Not now. Now, he had to deal with Dean.

In the Doctor's mind, Dean was alw

ays the one who would go first. It was a tough thing to think about, but it just made sense. Dean was willing to sell his soul to bring his brother back to life, there was no way he was letting Sam go without a fight.

So the Doctor could only assume that there _had_ been a fight, and that Dean had _lost_. He didn't want to think about what that would entail for the future of Dean.

When Dean called, he came right away. He didn't want to leave Dean alone for too long – it was no secret how self-destructive Dean could be. There was no telling what he would do if he was simply all alone, again, but it wouldn't be pretty.

When he first stepped out, he was hesitant. Dean was someone who wanted distance. He didn't like to be coddled and babied. He wanted to keep up with the impression that he was indestructible – that he didn't need anyone else's help. Now, anyone who knew Dean at all knew that that was complete bullshit. Dean needed people, just like they needed him. It was a two way street, even if Dean didn't want to believe it.

The Doctor didn't want to push him. He wanted to give Dean the space he desired, until _he_ finally realized what he needed. So instead of rushing forward, he waited for Dean to come to him.

At first, the pair just stared at each other. Dean seemed to be deep in thought, not that that was surprising. But then, slowly but surely, a warm smiled started to appear on his face. And then Dean walked towards the TARDIS, still smiling. "Hey, Doc."

"How good it is to see you, Dean." The Doctor opened his arms, and Dean readily accepted the hug.

Dean was holding onto the Doctor like a lifeline. He had lost so much, and he needed something good in his life right now. He needed someone he could talk to, he knew that much. He needed someone who he could depend on. "Doc, it has been a rough week."

They let go of the hug and the Doctor nodded. "I know. Come inside and we can talk."

Dean and the Doctor settled down in one of the many rooms of the TARDIS. It was a dining room of sorts, although it was never used as such. The Doctor used to have people to sit down with and eat, but that was rare, recently.

The Doctor brought a beer for Dean, and a soda for himself. Normally he wouldn't want to enable Dean's unhealthy habit of overdrinking, but this time he figured Dean would need it. He sat in the chair across from Dean, who was staring down at his drink with an odd intensity. "I can't believe it. I can't believe he's gone."

"How did it happen?"

"I don't know how much you know about what had been going on down here on Earth, but… things were not going well. Lucifer and Michael – as in the arch angels – were going to destroy everything. Only… they needed meat suits." Dean shook his head a little, huffing with false humor. "And of course they didn't just need any old humans. They needed Sam and me."

The Doctor listened intently to his story as he recounted the similarities between Sam and Lucifer, Dean and Michael. He explained how for the past year, both angels had been going after the brothers, trying to bribe and persuade them to take their side.

"I wanted to say yes, Doc. I really did. I was going to, but they stopped me." Dean sighed. "Not that it was a good idea, or the right thing to do… but I didn't see any other option. And I didn't want Sam to have to say yes to Lucifer."

"But he did."

Dean nodded. "We… we talked about it. He had made his decision. We had a plan to returned Lucifer back into the pit, but… it meant Sam going in with him. And he did." Finally, Dean took a sip of his beer. The alcohol didn't taste as good as it did, before. It stung slightly going down, but he didn't get the same rush afterwards. He drank it anyway, hoping to at least get drunk from it.

"Your brother made a brave sacrifice, Dean. He saved a lot of people doing what he did."

"I know. I know he did. I just wish…"

"That he didn't have to?"

"That I could have gone in his place. I would have in a heartbeat if I could. God knows I've done it before. I just wish I could have done what I always did to protect him. But these weren't normal circumstances. There was nothing I could do."

The Doctor didn't like the sound of that. One, _God knows I've done it before_? What did he mean by that? Second, he didn't want Dean wishing he could switch places with Sam. Knowing Dean, he'd probably find a way if he tried. As reckless as he was, he was stubborn, and when he set his mind to something, he did it. "You can't blame yourself, Dean. I'm sure you did everything you could do and then some."

"Of course I did. But it wasn't enough. It seems like I'm _never_ enough." Dean felt his throat knotting up as he spoke. He had never felt like such a failure before. Even when Sam was stabbed in Cold Oak, Dean was able to fix it. It wasn't a perfect fix, and it caused a whole hell of a lot more problems, but Sam was okay. But this time was different. Dean couldn't sell his soul to save Sam this time. He couldn't conjure up some spell, or make some kind of deal. He couldn't go to any angel or demon to get his brother out of the pit. He had to let him sit there to be tortured and who knows what else for the rest of eternity. How was he supposed to live with that?

"Dean, listen to me." The Doctor leaned forward in his chair. Dean met his eyes, and was surprised to find that they seemed almost angry. There was an energy behind them that he had rarely seen before. He wasn't smiling, and there was no humor in his expression. "Sometimes things don't work out. Sometimes you try as hard as you can, you give 110%, and you still fail. Sometimes you can never give enough. But _you _are enough. This isn't your fault. Sam's death isn't your fault. None of this is. Don't blame yourself for things that are out of your control. Trust me, it will only lead you down all the wrong paths."

Dean frowned. He knew the Doctor was dead serious, and he hoped that he was also right. "You're right, Doctor. I'm sorry. It's just a lot to deal with right now."

"I know. Which is why we need to get your mind off of it. You need to get your mind off of this, for now."

Dean nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right. What's the plan?"


	91. Mortuum Petram

_**This one's a bit long, guys. Although something tells me you won't mind.**_

_**Thank you to **_**Guest, Jaden Xiang, **_**and **_**snowdragon23 **_**for your reviews. They are very much appreciated.**_

_**To **_**Jaden Xiang, **_**I agree, and I never really liked the Lisa arch, either, although the ending of it was still painful. However, I'm trying to keep this story within canon, so eventually it will happen. But I'll probably skip over that, and go straight into Soulless Sam, which I've been excited to write about for a while.**_

_**As for **_**snowdragon23, **_**I agree that the 11**__**th**__** Doctor has felt more loss, and even a later version of the 10**__**th**__** Doctor could probably relate more to Dean than this one. But I have purposefully given Dean a Doctor who has not seen quite as many companions go (although he has still seen a lot) and who doesn't know all that much about Dean's future, yet. I felt like a later version of the Doctor could reassure Dean more easily, but in canon, Dean never really gets over this, and I felt like this Dean shouldn't either. Although that doesn't mean they won't have a good time :)**_

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"Earth has actually already discovered this planet in your time," The Doctor explained as he landed the TARDIS. The Doctor was a man of knowledge and curiosity, and in many ways he felt like Dean was the same way. He figured Dean would want to learn a little more about the universe he lived in, as that was the natural curiosity of the human race. "You call it Mu Arae c, but the rest of the universe calls it Mortuum Petram."

"Wait, that's Latin. The rest of the universe speaks Latin?"

"No, but trust me, you wouldn't be able to pronounce its true name. But that gives you an idea."

"So what is this place? What's special about it?"

"Well that's where we're in luck, Dean. If I got my calculations right – and I rarely do, mind you – we should be getting here just in time for an official tour."

Dean raised his brow but asked no further questions. The Doctor seemed pretty excited about it, so he figured he'd leave it be. "Alright then. Let's get started."

Dean turned to leave, but the Doctor ran ahead, blocking the exit. "Just one more thing before we go – the tour is, well… probably not what you would expect."

"What do you mean?"

"Right now, we're in the year 4,999,999,775, for starters. We'll be joining a group from the planet New Savannah, which is where the New Earth Empire settled after Earth was destroyed-"

"Wait, what? Earth was destroyed?"

"Oh, naturally, of course. I was actually there to witness it. But that isn't the point. The New Earth Empire people will look moderately like humans you would remember – although some have alterations that make them look more alien than human. But there is another group of people from New Savannah – Catkind."

Dean's eyes widened. "You're kidding, right? Cats? I hate cats!"

"Now, Dean! Don't be racist! They're completely different from the house cats of Earth! They're really good people… although I had a run in with a group of them who were… well that's a story for another day. Come on, let's go!"

When the TARDIS doors were open, it was a bit anti-climactic. The Doctor had landed the closet inside what appeared to be a janitor's closet. The room was dark and small, leaving little room for the two of them to stand. "Sorry, I meant to park outside by the front door… they must have moved the building recently…"

Dean scoffed. "Yeah, I'm sure _that's_ it." The Doctor fumbled around until he found the handle, and then swung open the door. They both stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind them. "I hope no one needs to use that closet before we leave."

The Doctor led the way back to the front of the building, where Dean could finally see the name of the place. There was a sign on the front desk, which at the moment was unoccupied. "'Dead Rock Museum'? That's what it translates to?"

The Doctor shrugged. "I thought Mortuum Petram was more exciting. It's a lot more impressive in the native tongue, trust me."

"So where is everyone? I thought we were taking a tour?"

"I might be a tad early. I'm sure they'll be here soon."

Suddenly, this adventure was starting to feel a bit too much like his field trip to the Cleveland Botanical Gardens. He felt a twinge of regret at the thought of it. He and Sam went there years ago on a school trip, but they had seen it again more recently in Heaven. He thought about that day, and he remembered throwing his amulet away at the end of it. His arm involuntarily went up to his chest to where the amulet should have lied.

The Doctor could tell something was bothering Dean, suddenly, and he could guess what it was. Luckily, before he could figure out how to distract him, the front door to the building swung open. Suddenly, twelve children – eight human, four Catkind – burst through the open doorway past the Doctor and Dean. A very bored looking human woman followed after them, shouting to stay still and hold on.

Three others, one Catkind and two human, frantically ran in, obviously flustered by the energetic children. Finally, a human man with a big bushy mustache strolled in. The Doctor knew him to be the manager of the museum.

Dean stood directly beside the Doctor. "_This _is the tour you were referring to? A field trip?"

Before the Doctor could answer, the manager wandered over to them. "I'm sorry for the disturbance. It's that time of year again – field trip season. I really hate field trip season. I'd much rather deal with adults than snotty little kids. May I help you two?"

"Yes, sir. We're here for the Empirical Tribune – a newly formed news outlet." The Doctor held up what Dean recognized to be the Psychic Paper. "We're part of the entertainment division, and we were wondering if we could write a piece on your _lovely_ establishment, here?"

The man's face lightened as the Doctor spoke, and a smile formed on his face. "That's terrific! You're welcome to join this tour, if you'd like. It's really quite exciting – although it's a little dumbed down for the kids."

"We would love to join you. Will you be giving the tour?"

"No, I don't handle that kind of stuff. Nigeria is in charge of that. As a matter of fact, she should be manning the front desk right now. Hm… I'm sure she's just off in the ladies room, of course. I should go find her, though…" With that, he hurried off in search of the woman.

The two turned back to the group of children, who were now mostly quiet and still, although grudgingly so. The adults chaperoning them were stationed around them, except for the bored woman from before, who stood off to the side and was waiting impatiently for someone to come to the counter.

"I gotta say – I don't know how I feel about this, Doc. I haven't spent a whole lot of time with kids."

"Oh, don't worry, Dean. Trust me, you seem like the kind of person who's great with kids! Don't let them make you nervous." Dean sighed, which made the Doctor a little worried. He had hoped this adventure would be more fun to Dean. He wanted to cheer the kid up a bit. "Come on, let's introduce ourselves, shall we?" The Doctor walked over to the woman standing off to the side. "Hello! I am the Doctor, and this is my partner, Dean. We're from the Empirical Tribune, and we'll be joining your tour."

"Yes, I heard." The woman stuck out her hand, and they shook. "My name is Mrs. Jenkins. I'm the principal of Savannah Creek – the most highly prestigious private school on New Savannah. These are some of our teachers, Mr. Sorola, Mrs. Luna, and Ms. Jatt." Upon hearing their names, each one of the teacher looked up at the three of them and nodded slightly in greeting. "Our tour was scheduled for twenty minutes ago, and yet here we are. You mention that in your article. We've been waiting outside for thirty, and we just now got let in. I don't know how you two managed."

"We found an alternate entrance." The Doctor smiled.

Finally, the manager returned with another woman, who was even younger than Dean. She was dressed professionally, but her hair was an array of different colors, and vibrant tattoos marked her arms and chest. Dean though she looked pretty awesome.

"Hello, again, everyone! This is my assistant, Nigeria. She'll be taking you on your tour this afternoon. If you have any questions, you can direct them to her. I'll be in my office if anyone needs to contact me."

Nigeria greeted the group, and politely asked everyone to follow. "As your teachers have probably told you, this is the planet Dead Rock. It was inhabited several thousand years ago, but it has since been deserted."

"What does inhabited mean?" One of the little girls asked. She had bright blonde hair that was tied up into a bow.

"It means people lived here, duh." A boy with dark hair answered.

"Don't be such a know-it-all, Dimitris!" Another girl stuck her tongue out at him.

Nigeria did not seem to be startled by the children's outburst at all. She looked like she was used to it. "Now, now, kids. Pay attention. There's a lot to learn about this planet. Does anyone know _why_ its people deserted it?"

None of the kids answered. "Well, as you can see, the planet is made of _rocks_. That's how we are able to stand on it. That's because its gravity is weak, and it can only pull in _heavy_ stuff like rocks and metals!"

"So isn't that a good thing?" The blonde girl spoke up again. "That means they _can_ live on it, just like we can live on New Savannah!"

"Correct! But it keeps pulling in rocks and metals, and it's getting bigger. And as it gets bigger-"

"It gets more gravity." One of the Catkind children answered.

"Yes, and it can start to pull in lighter things, like gases. Eventually, it will become so big, it will become a gas giant, and it will no longer be inhabitable."

"I have a question," Mr. Sorola was the one to speak. He was standing behind the children, his arms crossed as he listened. "Isn't it possible that Dead Rock is just an eroded gas giant? So why would it be getting bigger?"

"The universe is not stationary, sir. Things don't always go as planned."

"But isn't that the point of science?" Sorola continued. "So that we can predict things? So that we know _exactly _what to expect?"

Nigeria looked a little flustered by the teacher's questions, so the Doctor decided to step in. "Excuse me. I may not be an expert like Nigeria here – but I've seen a bit of the universe, myself. And let me tell you, Mr. Sorola, it's a strange universe indeed. I've seen things you could never imagine. Science isn't as much of an answer as it is a process. We'll never know how all of it works. You just have to open up your mind a little, have a little imagination."

Sorola frowned, but did not ask any more questions. Nigeria looked thankful for the Doctor's interruption. She continued, "Alright, let's get going. We have a lot to see."

As they walked down the hallway to the next room, the lights flickered above their heads. Most didn't seem to notice, but it immediately put Dean on edge. He looked to the Doctor, but he didn't seem to notice, either.

"Um… excuse me? Nigeria?" Dean rushed over to the front of the group so that he was standing beside her. "Sorry, I had a question for the article. When exactly was this place founded? How long has the museum been here?"

"Not long at all. This place is really new. We have a couple other museums around this solar system, but we just recently built one here."

"I see. And you said the people who used to live here left… where did they go?"

"Actually, we don't know. There are signs of life here all over the place. But by the time anyone got in contact with this system, they were already gone. Almost like they vanished. The reasons why they left were just theories, of course."

"Huh… uh, thanks." He quickly returned to the Doctor, who was watching him expectantly from the back of the group.

"Don't you think she's a bit young for you, Dean?"

"What? No, that's not… look, Doc, I have a bad feeling about this place."

"Why is that? We've been here less than ten minutes!"

"It's just… something's off. I have good instincts about stuff like this. And I can just tell that something bad is going to happen."

Suddenly, the unmistakable sound of the intercom coming on graced all of their ears, rather loudly. A grumbling voice that belonged to the manager came from above them. "Nigeria, could you please come down to my office after you've taken the tour to the first showcase room. Thank you."

Nigeria appeared confused, so Dean took that is was an odd request. It _seemed_ like an odd request, to leave the tour group alone and go all the way back to the office. But since the museum was so new, it was apparent that they were the only two people working here as on right now.

When they entered the first showcase room, Nigeria excused herself and was about to hurry back when the electricity abruptly went out, and they were encased in darkness.

The children started to scream, some of fear, others of excitement. The adults tried to hush them, but Nigeria just stared up at the ceiling.

Luckily, the lights came back on in just a few seconds. "My apologies, as I said, this is still a new building. We're still working out a few kinks. I'm sure the problem will be fixed-"

She was interrupted by the intercom, again. "Nigeria, could you please come down to my office after you've taken the tour to the first showcase room. Thank you."

"Sorry, I have to go." Nigeria rushed off, leaving the group alone in the showcase room, which was full of artifacts left behind by the mysteriously disappeared natives.

"Come on, kids," Ms. Jatt, the Catkind adult, motioned for the kids to look around the room. "Don't worry about the lights. Let's look at the cool artifacts!" The children calmed down a bit, and returned to their normal whispered chit chat as they followed Ms. Jatt around the room.

Mrs. Luna leaned over to Mr. Sorola. "Do you think we should be concerned about all this?" She said it quietly enough so that the children couldn't hear, but Dean and the Doctor were close enough to overhear.

"I don't know. I don't like the looks of this place, if you ask me. This is just the school trying to save money by sending us someplace cheap, as if we wouldn't notice. Typical."

Once again, the intercom buzzed, "Nigeria, could you please come down to my office after you've taken the tour to the first showcase room. Thank you."

Dean and the Doctor exchanged a glance. Something was definitely off.

Their fears finally came true as a shrill scream echoed through the hallways, causing the whole group to go silent. Not even the kids said a word as the scream echoed, until it finally stopped.

Dean was the first one to run out the door, but the Doctor and Mrs. Jenkins were not far behind.


	92. Monster of the Week

_**Thank you to **_**The Best Guest _and _snowdragon23. _I really appreciate your kind words, and I'm glad you're enjoying this story. As for the Doctor's story line, in chapter 90 I wrote that he is somewhere in between Martha and Donna, right now._**

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Dean almost plowed straight into Nigeria when he turned the corner. She was running back to the group, tears streaming down her face. She looked petrified, and when she saw Dean she immediately grabbed onto him. "What's wrong? What happened?" Dean questioned.

"I don't know what happened! He was just- when I got there he was-"

"Show me!"

Nigeria led Dean back to the manager's office. When they crossed the threshold into the room, Dean saw what she had screamed at. Sitting in the chair that he supposed was the managers, was a skeleton. The clothes that the manager had been wearing earlier hung limply from the bones. There were traces of hair and skin laying on the chair and the floor behind him.

"Please, tell me this is some kind of joke. Tell me that it isn't real!" Nigeria cowered behind Dean's back as if she was afraid of the thing itself. Behind them, the Doctor and Mrs. Jenkins had caught up.

"Dear God," Mrs. Jenkins gasped as she saw the skeleton. "That isn't real, is it?"

Dean approached the skeleton to investigate. He pressed the bone between his fingers. He could see little marks on the bone, and they looked like teeth marks. "Unfortunately, this is a real skeleton."

Nigeria covered her mouth with her hands. "Do you think that's Mr. Dunn?" She asked, her voice muffled behind her hands.

Dean looked over at the name plate sitting on the desk that read "Gavin Dunn." He nodded sympathetically.

The Doctor stood beside Dean, looking down at the remains. He lowered his voice, "What do you think could have done this?"

Dean let out a deep breath. "I honestly don't know. I've never seen anything like this before."

"How could this have happened so quickly? The poor man was just on the intercom!" Mrs. Jenkins asked, frantically.

Dean looked down at the phone sitting on Mr. Dunn's desk. It was different from the phone of his own time, but it seemed to work very similarly.

The Doctor reached down and pressed a few buttons. Suddenly, the intercom announced, "Nigeria, could you please come down to my office after you've taken the tour to the first showcase room. Thank you."

"T-t-the machine k-keeps a record of the last announcement," Nigeria explained, shakily. "In case it needs to be repeated."

"So after the first time it was said, anybody could have sent it out again and again?" Dean asked. Nigeria nodded. That would explain why the same message was played several times. It sounded like whoever or _whatever_ had done this was trying to lure Nigeria back to the office. Possibly so that she could meet a similar fate.

"Who cares?" Mrs. Jenkins exclaimed. "However long the _thing_ had was not long enough! If it took them 10 minutes or 10 seconds, it's still unnatural!"

Dean turned and addressed Mrs. Jenkins. "You're right. Whatever's going on, this place is dangerous. I think you should get yourself and these kids off of this entire planet as quickly as you can."

Mrs. Jenkins looked regretful. "I'm afraid our ship won't return for another hour and a half."

"It's okay, I have a ride." The Doctor assured her. "We should go back to get them, now."

"Of course."

The four of them started walking back to the showcase room when the lights started to flicker again. Mrs. Jenkins stopped. "The lights were flickering right before Mr. Dunn was eaten!"

"It's like it's trying to make it dark so it can attack us without being seen," Nigeria commented eerily.

Suddenly, the Doctor grabbed Dean's arm. "What is it, Doctor?"

"I think I know what this is. I think I know what killed him, and what's trying to kill us."

"Well? What is it then?"

"Microscopic creatures called the Vashta Nerada."

"Vashta Nerada?" Mrs. Jenkins repeated. "I've heard of them! I thought they were a myth!"

"I assure you, they aren't. They swarm together in small groups. The larger the group, the more they can eat." The rest of the group listened, horrified. "They live in the darkness. That's why most species in the universe are instinctively afraid. Deep down, they all know what's out there. I've never actually seen them before… but that must be why they're messing with the lights. It's the only way they can travel."

"Then we need to keep the lights on. We need to get moving, quickly." But as they continued, the lights only got dimmer. Behind them, it was totally dark.

"They're following us!" Nigeria whimpered, looking behind her. Dean pressed his hand against her back and kept her moving forward.

"Doctor, there's got to be something we can do. How do we fight something we can't even see?"

The Doctor shook his head. "I have no idea. As far as I can tell, they have no weaknesses."

"You're telling me of the alien beings you've encountered, all the monsters we've fought – the only thing you have to say for the Vashta Nerada is _run_?"

"Yup. That's exactly what I'm telling you. Now come on. We have to hurry back to the kids. The teachers don't know what we're dealing with yet. They don't know what we know."

"Mrs. Jenkins! Thank God!" Ms. Jatt ran up to them as they approached. "We were getting worried. What is going on here? What was that screaming all about?"

Mrs. Jenkins walked straight passed Ms. Jatt and addressed the children. "Alright kids, listen up! There was a bit of an emergency here, and we have to leave a bit early." A collective groan rang out amongst the kids. "I'm sure you're all very disappointed. But I need you all to line up in an orderly fashion, alright?" She turned to the Doctor. "Where is this ride of yours exactly? Parked out back?"

"Not exactly… in a janitors closet, actually."

Mrs. Jenkins paused for a moment, as if expecting him to laugh and say that was a joke. When he didn't, she turned back to the kids. "We're going home on a different ship, okay? But on our way over there we'll be playing a game. You have to stay out of the shadows, okay? You have to stay in the light! Sound fun?"

The kids didn't seem convinced, but they all agreed. "Good. Now, let's follow the Doctor, here, okay?"

They were about to leave when Mrs. Luna spoke up. "Wait! What about Mr. Sorola and Dimitri?"

Everyone paused. "Where are they?" The Doctor asked, suddenly recognizing their absence. "Did he leave?"

Luna nodded. "Yes, Dimitri needed a restroom I think. Mr. Sorola took him that way." She pointed down the opposite hallway, which was now shrouded in darkness. "Huh… That's strange. I swear the lights were on when they left…"

"God damn it." Dean rolled his eyes. There was always one person who left the group. "We need to find them."

"It may already be too late." The Doctor admitted, quietly, as to not tip of the kids. "You're right, though. We need to go looking for him. But we can't take the kids with us."

"They need to get on the TARDIS. You need to take them there. I'll go and find douchebag and the kid." Dean offered.

"You can't be serious. You can't go alone." The Doctor recognized that that was the kind of sacrifice he personally made quite often, but he could still see how stupid that was.

"Who am I gonna take with me, Doc? All these people need to leave, and fast. I'm the only one."

"You need to leave, too."

"Yeah. But somebody has to go look for them. We can't abandon them."

The Doctor hated the fact that Dean was right. "Fine. You go. I'll lead them safely to the TARDIS – and then I'll come back for you. Deal?"

"Deal."


	93. Things are Heating Up and Thats Not Good

_**Thank you to **_**snowdragon23, ShadowPillow, **_**and **_**The Best Guest **_**for your reviews! You all seemed excited to see where this goes, so here it is!**_

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The Doctor was not a particularly calm person. He wasn't a very patient person, either, and he found it hard to stay in one place for too long. These traits, among others, made him get along with children quite well, but it also meant he wasn't very good with discipline and order. Right now, he needed _both_ of those.

So far, he was successful at making the "stay out of the shadows" game fun for the kids. They were completely oblivious to the real danger, of course. However, he promised games and snacks for all of those who never touched the darkness.

"My ship is one of the _biggest_ in the galaxy! Much bigger than any ship you've ever been on!" The Doctor explained to the kids as they went on their way. A few of the hallways he planned on going through were already darkened, but so far he had been able to find detours. "One of the rooms is entirely a swimming pool! From wall to wall!"

"Are we allowed to swim in it?" The blonde girl from before asked, excitedly. "I _love_ to swim!"

"Of course! As long as you stay out of the dark!"

"I don't like to swim," one of the Catkind children complained. "What else is there?"

"Don't you worry, there's lots of stuff. You'll all be able to find something to do. But for now, let's just focus on getting there."

Nigeria was walking slightly behind the Doctor, arms crossed. She was trying to put on a brave face for the children, but it wasn't really working. She had started to sweat, and her face was getting hot.

Mrs. Luna caught up to Mrs. Jenkins. She whispered, "What exactly is going on here? What was that screaming about?"

Jenkins glanced down at the kids, who appeared oblivious to their conversation. "The manager – Mr. Dunn – is _dead_." Luna let out a little gasp. "I know. But I saw it myself. Something stripped him down all the way to the bone!"

"What do you think it is? Are we in danger?"

Jenkins frowned, nodding. "Only if we go into the shadows. The Doctor and his friend – you know, the cute one? They think it's the Vashta Nerada!"

"_What_? That can't be! I thought they were a myth."

"I thought so to, but what else could have done this?"

Nigeria was getting more and more nervous. Eventually, she just couldn't take it anymore. She rushed up to the Doctor. "Doctor… I need to tell you something. It's important."

The Doctor could tell by the look on her face that it was something big – and something bad. "What is it?"

"So… when Mr. Dunn decided to build his museum here… he sent a crew out here to clear out some land. And they found…"

"What? What did you find?"

"Dunn lied. He said that the only evidence of life on this planet were the structures they left behind; the house, the buildings, their belongings… but that wasn't true. They didn't leave anything behind, because they didn't _leave_."

"What do you mean? They're still on the planet? How is that possible?"

Nigeria had tears streaming down her face, now, the guilt of hiding this was getting to her. "Doctor," she whispered. "They were all dead. They were nothing but skeletons – every single one of them. We don't know if any were able to get away and leave the planet, or…" She buried her face in her hands. "I should've told somebody. Dunn said not to worry about! He said whatever came here and did this to them must have been long gone! They cleared away the bodies and ransacked the homes for 'artifacts' to put in this god forsaken museum."

The Doctor closed his eyes. This was much worse than he imagined. He couldn't help but be at least a little angry at Nigeria for hiding this – but she had done the right thing by coming to him, now. Besides, she wasn't the one who decided to keep this secret. That was all on Dunn, but there was no point and being angry with him. He had paid the price for his mistake. The Doctor just hoped no one else would have to face the same fate as him.

"Thank you for telling me, Nigeria. I just hope that Dean can find Sorola and the boy before it's too late."

Nigeria nodded, solemnly. "I do, too."

* * *

Dean wandered through the hallway, following the signs to the restroom. Above him, the lights flickered. He wished he had brought some kind of flashlight with him, but he was entirely unprepared for all of this.

He supposed he should have expected this, being that this _was_ the Doctor after all, and he _was_ a Winchester. He couldn't understand it, but both of them just drew in trouble.

And, of course, he was now the _only_ Winchester. Both his parents were dead. His brother AND his half-brother were both stuck in Lucifer's pit for the rest of eternity. In the whole god damn universe, he was on his own.

Up ahead, under a dim light, he could read the sign: "Restroom". He rushed into the room, slamming through the door. "Holy shit!" Dean couldn't hold back his exclamation as in his hurry, he almost stepped right onto another skeleton. This one was wearing the clothing of Sorola.

The ceiling of the room had three lights, evenly spaced along the length of the room. The middle one, which what was left of Sorola was lying beneath, was out. Luckily, the other two were still on, but barely so.

"Dimitri? Dimitri, please tell me you're in here."

Suddenly, the farthest stall in the room, which was thankfully underneath one of the working lights, creaked open just slightly. Dean could see Dimitri's face poke out.

"Dimitri, are you alright? Are you hurt?" Dean held his hands out, conveying for him to not run forward, through the shadows. Dimitri shook his head. He was staring straight at Dean, obviously avoiding looking at the body beneath him. "Did you, uh... did you see what happened to Mr. Sorola?"

"No. I heard it." Dimitri pointed behind him, indicating that he had been in the stall at the time. "The light went out – Mr. Sorola was trying to hit it to see if he could get it back on. And then..."

"Okay, that's okay. Just... keep your eyes focused on me, okay? I'm gonna try and do the same thing - but I'm going to stay out of the shadow." Dean explained. "That's how you stay safe, okay? Stay in the light, and you'll be just fine. Got it?"

"Okay..."

Dean looked around for some kind of stick - like a broom or something - so that he could touch the light without having to stand beneath it. The Doctor had said that the Vashta Nerada weren't necessarily in ever dark corner, but they could be in any one. Chances were, they hadn't just left after snacking on Sorola. They were as trapped at he was – stuck in a dark strip between two bright lights. But eventually they'd go after the remaining lights to increase their hunting ground. They had to move fast.

Unfortunately, he couldn't find anything like that. "Dimitri - did you bring anything in there with you? Did you have a backpack, or anything?"

"No... But Mr. Sorola had his suitcase." Dimitri pointed a few feet away from Sorola, where a black suitcase had been thrown, probably during the attack.

"Perfect." Dean got on his knees and pulled the suitcase in front of him. He tried to open it, but there was a little light blue screen on the side of it. Dean figured it was some kind of futuristic security code. "Did you know his pin? Or what he used to open it?"

Dimitri looked at him confused, as if it was an obvious answer. "It scans his eye."

A retina scanner. Great. Dean glanced over at the pile of bones. "I don't think that's going to work. I'll have to open it another way." He looked around the room, again, but he didn't see anything he could use. "I'm gonna have to go find something to open this, Dimitri. I'll be right back."

"No!" Dimitri yelled, stepping completely out of the stall, now. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, more fragile, and more like a little boy who had already been through enough. "You can't leave me. _Please.._."

Dean stared sadly at the boy. He needed to leave, but there was no way he could, now. Not when a scared little boy who needed him. He just didn't have it in him. "Okay, I won't go. It's gonna be fine, Dimitri. I'll figure it out."

As Dean looked back down at the suitcase, he could have sworn that just for a moment, the floor beneath him moved, just slightly. And then it stopped. He looked up to Dimitri. "Did you feel that?"

Dimitri nodded. "What was that?"

Dean clenched his jaw. It happened again, this time a little stronger. "I don't know. It feels like... an Earthquake..."

Dimitri grabbed onto the door of the stall. "Please hurry."

Dean got back to work.

* * *

The Doctor was getting worried that they would be left in the dark before they got to the TARDIS, but just before all hope was lost, they turned the corner and he saw the janitor's closet. "Here we are!"

"Your ship is in a janitor closet?" One of the kids asked, judgmentally. "How are we going to fit?"

"You'll see." The Doctor glanced behind him and noticed the lights slowly going out. "Alright, everyone, into the closet!" He opened the closet, exposing the TARDIS inside. He unlocked the door and moved out of the way so the kids could run inside.

"It's _huge_!"

"But it's so small from out there!"

"It's bigger on the inside!"

The Doctor smiled at the amazement of the kids. Every once in a while, he'd long for the companionship of someone so young. They were filled with so much joy and wonder, making them a lot more exciting than adults to travel with. Dean used to be that way, and the Doctor was sure he'd eventually be seeing a lot more of that Dean.

But this Dean? It seemed like most of the adventure had been ripped out of him when Sam was killed. He seemed like a completely different person, and the Doctor did not like that at all. Of course, he could understand Dean's change. He knew what it was like to lose someone you loved – to lose family. He just hoped that he was going to be enough to help Dean out of the funk he was in.

_To be enough… _The Doctor had to chuckle at his own self. He was beginning to sound like Dean. When he told Dean that he was always enough, he had meant it from the bottom of his heart. He knew that they _both_ had to stop doubting themselves so much. But that was a lot harder to do than to say.

Suddenly, as he was watching the kids roam around the control room, he felt the ground beneath him shake, slightly. He turned to Mrs. Jenkins and Mrs. Luna. They had both felt the same thing. When it happened again, he could see the lights flicker on and off above him.

If that was an Earthquake, it meant a whole lot of trouble for Dean. A natural disaster too great could send this whole place into darkness, and Dean would be left with two civilians and nowhere to go. There would be no place safe, left.

"Mrs. Jenkins, Ms. Luna," He addressed. "You and the children will be safe in the TARDIS. Trust me, _nothing_ will get through those door except me. I have to find Dean before he, Sorola, and the boy get stuck somewhere in this building."

"Are you sure you should go alone?" Ms. Luna looked genuinely concerned, and he appreciated that. "Yes, I'm sure. There's no need to put anyone else in danger."

But Mrs. Jenkins shook her head, stepping forward. "No, I'm sorry, Doctor, but I must insist. I am going with you. Mr. Sorola and Dimitri are _my_ responsibility. I cannot let you retrieve them without me."

The Doctor wanted to argue, but Jenkins seemed determined, so he agreed. "Alright. Ms. Luna, keep an eye on Nigeria for me, okay? I'm a little worried about her. Jenkins, follow me."


	94. Giving Up Ain't as Easy as it Looks

_**Thank you to **_**snowdragon23**_**, **_**ShadowPillow, **_**and **_**The Best Guest**_** for your reviews.**_

* * *

"Dean..." Dimitri whispered from the other side of the room. Dean was trying to pry the suitcase open with just his hands, and it wasn't going well. "I'm scared."

Dean looked up from what he was doing. Dimitri was sniffling, and it looked like he was going to start crying at any moment. He immediately reminded Dean of Sam when he was little. He could recall countless times where his little brother wore the same desperate expression, and he, too, looked to Dean to make everything alright. It was a great responsibility, but it was one that Dean gladly accepted.

And now, of course, his brother was gone, and he no longer had anyone to look out for in the same way. But at the moment, there was another little boy who was looking to him once more, and he couldn't ignore that.

"It's going to be okay, Dimitri. I promise I won't let anything happen to you. I'm gonna get you out of here safely, I swear."

Dimitri gulped as the light above him started to flicker. Dean's eyes widened. He was running out of time. "Please don't let them get me, Dean..."

"Of course not." Dean tried to sound confident, but he could feel panic setting in. He couldn't get to Dimitri without fixing the light, but he couldn't fix the light without opening the suitcase. "I got this..." He said, mostly to himself. "I got this."

He picked up the suitcase above his head, gripping it by the handle, and then brought it down swiftly, smashing it into the tile. It landed with _thunk_, but nothing happened. Dimitri flinched at the sudden sound, but said nothing. Dean lifted it over his head again, and slammed it down once more. Again, unsuccessfully.

Above Dimitri, the light was fading slowly. "_Dean..._"

The floor began to shake again, and Dean slammed the suitcase against the ground again and again. He was getting out of breath, but he had to get this suitcase open.

Thunk, thunk, thunk! With his last attempt, the suitcase shot out of his hands, and flew open. It skittered across the tile just as there was another shutter from below. Dean hadn't been in a lot of Earthquakes over the years, but he had been through enough to know that there was something weird about this one.

He looked through the contents; there were lots of papers, some food, but nothing of note. Nothing that was going to help him turn on the light. "Shit!" He groaned, kicking the suitcase across the room. As it flew across the dark portion, the food that was in the suitcase disappeared as the Vashta Nerada ate away at what it could. Dimitri let out a frightened gasp.

"Dimitri I have to leave. I have to find something to reach the light."

"No! Please! You can't!" Dimitri had tears pouring out of his eyes, now. He slid down to the floor, still clutching onto the door. Dean wanted nothing more than to run over there and hold him, but he knew he would meet a similar fate to the sandwich in the suitcase.

Dean took in a shaky breath, desperately trying to figure out a way out of this.

Thankfully, he didn't have to.

"DEAN?" He suddenly heard the Doctor's voice from somewhere outside the bathroom.

"SOROLA? DIMITRI?" That was the principal's voice… Mrs. What's Her Face. He didn't know, but he didn't care. He was just glad that they were here.

"DOCTOR!" Dean leaned out the bathroom door and could see the two of them down the hall. "Doctor! Hurry!"

The Doctor and Mrs. Jenkins ran in, both of them gasping when they saw the body on the floor. "Is that…?" Mrs. Jenkins pointed at it. Dean nodded. "Oh dear… Dimitri! Dimitri, are you okay?"

Dimitri shook his head.

Above them, the light flickered. "Doctor, can you fix the light?" Dean asked, gesturing to the middle light.

"Absolutely." The Doctor, making sure to keep his distance from the darkness, held his Sonic Screwdriver up to the light. Within just a few seconds, the light came back on. Dean ran forward immediately, as did Dimitri. They met in the middle, and Dean picked him up, running backwards.

"Come on, we have to go!"

The Doctor and Mrs. Jenkins ran ahead, leading Dean back towards the TARDIS.

Beneath them, the Earthquake was just getting worse. It was getting hard to walk. They passed through the display room, and all around them the "artifacts" were shaking off their tables and crashing to the ground.

Suddenly, in front of Dean, the ground began to break away, pulling apart from itself. Dean skidded to a halt, backing up before he ran straight into the gaping hole that was being left. "Shit!"

The Doctor and Mrs. Jenkins stopped, and could do nothing as they were separated from Dean. The building itself was being ripped apart from its foundation. Pieces of the ceiling were falling down on top of them. It was like a scene right out of Indiana Jones. "Dean!"

Dean racked it brain on what to do. "Doctor, take Dimitri!"

"How?"

Dean stretched out as far as he could, and the Doctor did from the other side. Dimitri stretched his arms out until he could reach the Doctor. The Doctor took a hold of him right in time, and brought him across the widening gap.

"Dean, can you jump across?"

Dean sized it up, but it didn't look good. He didn't even want to look down at his possible fate if he missed this jump. "I can't Doc. You gotta go without me."

"What? Of course not!" Dean couldn't be serious. There was no way the Doctor was leaving him here.

"Doc, this whole place is coming down! We're all going to _die_ in here if you don't hurry and get out! Get her and the kid to safety before it's too late!"

"I can't go without you!"

"God damn it, Doctor! Don't do this now!"

"Dean, you're going to die in here!" The Doctor shouted.

"Good!" Dean yelled back.

The Doctor didn't say anything.

Mrs. Jenkins finally spoke. "Doctor… I'm sorry about your friend, but we have to move. I can't just wait around for you to get him. We have to get Dimitri to safety."

The Doctor nodded. He stood up straight, and handed Dimitri to Mrs. Jenkins. Then he reached into his pocket, and picked out the key to the TARDIS. He gave that to her as well. "Go ahead, you take him to my ship. You're people will come for you soon. Trust me, you'll be safe in there until them."

"Doctor, what are you doing?" Dean's eyes widened.

Mrs. Jenkins only considered this for a moment before accepting the keys. "Thank you, Doctor." She said, sadly, before running off. Dimitri looked back at Dean as she ran, until she turned the corner and they were both out of sight.

Above them, the ceiling broke apart, and sunlight from outside came streaming in. At least they were safe from the Vashta Nerada. For now.

But the building was still collapsing. It wasn't much longer, now, before…

"Doctor, don't do this." Dean pleased with him. "Don't do this to me. Get the hell out of here while you still can."

"Don't do this to you? Don't do this to _me_!" The Doctor argued. "I don't want to hear it! If you aren't going to try and save yourself, I'm not going to save myself either."

"This isn't fair!" Dean knew he sounded like a petulant child, but he didn't care. "That's not fair and you know it. You're putting your life in my hands. Don't make me responsible for your death, too."

"I can make my own decisions, Dean. And so can you. It's about time you start making decisions for _yourself,_ and not other people."

"What do you think I'm doing now? I'm doing this for _me_. I want to die. Just let me have this. For once… just let me do this."

"Why? Why are you trying to do this, Dean? Why do you have to die?"

Dean scoffed, looking down. He didn't have to answer that. He didn't have to justify himself to the Doctor.

But he couldn't let the Doctor die, either. Not for him. Not like this.

"God damn it!" Dean sighed. "Fine! Let's get the hell out of here. What do you want me to do?"

The Doctor glanced around. "I'm going to find something to pull you up with. Just hold on."


	95. The Great Escape

_**Sorry for the wait, guys! I've been so busy with school work, I haven't had any time to write! Hopefully I'll get things under control soon, and I can get back to fanfic! **_

_**Thank you to **_**The Best Guest**_** and **_**snowdragon23**_** for your reviews!**_

* * *

The Doctor ran towards the manager's office, hoping and praying that he would find something in there. If not… he didn't know where else to look. Maybe the janitor's closet?

Dean waited in the sunlight, hoping and praying that the Doctor would change his mind and go to the TARDIS, instead. He just wanted to be left here until darkness comes, and then he could just let the Vashta Nerada have him.

But if the Doctor was going to be dumb enough to risk his own life for Dean's, he was gonna have to work with him.

Dean sat down, legs crossed. In the silence, he finally had a chance to just think, without being interrupted.

Sure, he had had time before, but he had been desperately trying to get away from his thoughts. He knew that if he was left alone with them, they'd just eat away at him, and he didn't want to deal with that.

He didn't want to deal with anything, anymore.

Wasn't it easier this way? Wasn't it easier to just give up, and give in? He had cheated Death more than a few times. He had lived his fair share of life. It wasn't right. He was never supposed to be alive.

He should have died years ago, when he got electrocuted and Sam brought him to that faith healer. He was never meant to find his father. He was never meant to kill the Yellow-Eyed demon, or Ruby, or try and fail to stop the apocalypse. He was never meant to go on these adventures with the Doctor. Every second he was alive, he was just prolonging the inevitable, and for what?

Maybe… just maybe… it was worth it for Sam. But Sam was gone, now. There was no bringing him back.

But then he thought about Bobby. And Cas. And the Doctor. Surely they would miss him? Surely they would be pissed if he quit now. Hell, the Doctor already proved that. Maybe he was right, and he _should_ be dead. But he wasn't. And maybe that was okay. At least for now.

It was all just too much, and he didn't want to think about it anymore. The choice had been made for him, and he was stuck following the Doctor's lead, now. All he could do at this point was wait.

"Dean!" Dean picked his head up and saw the Doctor standing on the other side of the crater, holding a bundle of rope in his hands.

"Where the hell did you find rope?"

"The janitor's closet. But that isn't important. Come on, let's get you over here." He tied one end of the rope around a door knob. It was the only somewhat cemented down object around. He held onto the rope himself, as well, and threw Dean the other side of it.

"You sure this is gonna hold, Doc?" Dean asked, skeptically.

"Yeah, of course! I mean... more than likely. A solid probably."

Dean grabbed onto the rope, gave it a few tugs, and then began to climb. He pressed his feet against "wall" in front of him, and used his hands to maneuver his way up. The Doctor held on as tightly as he could, but he could tell he was doing more of the work than the door. He was afraid if he left go, the weight of Dean would just pull the door right off its hinges, and he'd go plummeting down.

"You almost at the top?" From his position, the Doctor couldn't see Dean at all. Just feel his shifting weight.

"Gettin' there as fast as I can, Doc," came Dean's reply.

Dean reached up, and his hand poked up enough for the Doctor to see him. Then he launched himself upwards, grabbing at the floor. Suddenly, there was another rumble, and the Doctor lost his grip on the rope. The rope gave way, and Dean yelped as the Doctor watched his hands disappear behind the floor.

"DEAN!"

The Doctor ran over to the edge, terrified of what he would see. Dean plummeting down into the abyss? Him hitting a solid ground, making a _crack_ as he connected to the surface?

He peered down, and saw Dean, his fingers dug into the dirt on the side, holding on desperately to a small crevice. "Dean, thank God!"

"Don't thank God! Thank me! And seriously… I can't hang here much longer."

The Doctor reached down, taking one of Dean's hands. With his help, the Doctor managed to pull the boy up onto the surface once more.

Dean stood, shakily, brushing himself off. "Damn... That was not as easy as it l-" He was cut off when the Doctor reached forward, and brought him into a tight hug. Dean's hands hovered over the Doctor's back. "Doc..."

The Doctor pulled away. "Don't do that again." He said, sternly. Dean could tell that he meant it.

"Yeah... I won't." The Doctor didn't look convinced. "I promise."

The Doctor nodded. "Okay. Come on, let's get out of here before anything worse happens."

They made it back to the TARDIS, and with a snap of the Doctor's fingers, they were safely inside.

"Dean!" It was Dimitri. He had been sitting with the other children around the control console, but as soon as he saw Dean enter, he stood and ran over to him. "I'm glad you're safe!"

Dean smiled as Dimitri wrapped his arms around his waist. He pat the kid's back. "Thanks, man. I'm glad you made it okay. You're a tough kid."

"Dimitri!" Jenkins called to him, motioning for him to come back to his seat. Dimitri looked up at Dean one more time, smiled, and then ran off.

Dean watched him run away. The Doctor stood beside him, and watched the scene go down. He put his hand on Dean's shoulder. Dean glanced back at him, letting out a long sigh. After a few moments, the Doctor said, "How about we get these kid's home?"

"Yeah… let's do it."


	96. A Time Lord's Gift

_**Oh my God… has it really been this long? I am so sorry! I have to get back into this! Thank you to those who reviewed, and to those who waited all this time. Enjoy the next chapter!**_

* * *

Neither of them really wanted to talk about what had happened. Both would rather just move on, and pretend none of that ever went down. They returned the kids to their school, alive and mostly okay. Mrs. Jenkins thanked them for saving them, and the Doctor gave his condolences over Mr. Sorola.

After, the Doctor and Dean stood in the now empty console room of the TARDIS. Neither of them said anything, neither of them knowing what to say. The Doctor was staring at Dean, who was just looking down at the floor. He wished he knew what the kid was thinking. He wished he could understand the way his brain worked, because honestly, he was at a loss. The Doctor had always thought that he and Dean were pretty similar, and in many ways they were. But they were just different enough that Dean could throw him through a loop more often than not.

He wanted Dean to enjoy himself. He wanted the TARDIS to be a safe place for him. He wanted Dean to know that whatever shit went down in his life, on his planet, in his time period, there was someplace he could go. He thought Dean knew that. Maybe he still did. But regardless, things were obviously not working. Dean was still holding everything in. He was still hurting. That was to be expected, of course, but he was supposed to be getting better. And he wasn't.

"Dean," The Doctor started. Dean looked up at him, his eyes tired as ever. "We should really talk."

"Doctor, I-"

"Wait, I'm not finished. We should really talk, but I know you don't want to. And I also know I can't force you. Just… When you're ready… I'm here."

Dean frowned. He nodded, slowly, but didn't say anything else.

"Now, come on. Let's do something fun, huh?" The Doctor ran over to the console as if he had a plan, but honestly, he did not.

Dean took a deep breath, getting himself prepared for travel. But travel never came. Suddenly, there was a ringing in his ears, and it was steadily growing in volume. He brought his hands to his ears, hoping to muffle the sound, but it didn't help. "Doctor, what the hell? Are you doing that?" He turned to the Doctor, expecting to see him have a similar reaction, but instead he was staring upwards, listening. "Doctor?"

The Doctor glanced at him, but said nothing. He was talking now, but not to Dean. Dean couldn't even hear him over the whistling sound. Slowly the pain of it all was overtaking him, and he knelt down on the ground in agony. He stared up at the Doctor, again, suddenly remembering where he had heard this before, years ago.

Castiel.

And then, all at once, the ringing stopped. Dean gasped for air, even though he had been breathing fine. He hit his hand against the side of his head a few times and then laid his forehead against the ground. "Dean? Are you alright?" The Doctor knelt beside him, putting his hand against the his back.

"Was that…. Was that Cas?" Dean asked, lifting his head. The Doctor nodded. "Can you hear him when he does that? You seemed completely unaffected."

The Doctor shrugged. "A Time Lords' gift I suppose. How's your head?"

"Not very good, thanks for asking. What the hell did he want?"

"He was looking for you. He figured you were with me."

"Why was he looking for me?"

"You can ask him yourself in a moment. We're going to go meet him."

"Why?"

"Just let him explain it, alright?"

* * *

The Doctor jumped at the sound of Dean letting out a sudden groan. "Doctor, what the hell? Are you doing that?" He looked to Dean, who had his hands against his ears, his face pained. He hadn't even touched any control yet. There was no way that he had inadvertently caused that.

A second later, he realized what had. "Doctor."

"Castiel." The Doctor looked up toward the ceiling, although he knew he would not see Castiel. "What are you doing?"

"I assume Dean is with you, am I correct in that assumption?"

"Yes. Why, what do you want with him?" He glanced down at Dean, who was staring at him in confusion. He felt bad, and wanted to wrap up the conversation as quickly as possible, so that the poor kid didn't have to be in pain longer than he had to.

"I was just… concerned. He left quickly after Sam… I thought he went to Bobby's, but I checked there and he never showed up. I just wanted to make sure he was okay."

"Well that's very thoughtful of you, but as of right now he's lying on the floor in pain because of this conversation."

"My apologies. Doctor… this wasn't the only thing I wanted to talk to you about. But I see that this is not the way to do so. Can we meet somewhere? Alone?"

"Alone?" The Doctor looked back at Dean. "What am I supposed to do with Dean?"

"That's not up to me. Please, Doctor… it's important."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes, thinking. "No. I'll come meet you, but Dean is coming with me. Is that understood?"

"Doctor, you don't understand-"

"That's the only way this happens, Castiel. Trust me."

There was a moment of silence from the angel's end as he considered the Doctor's offer. "Fine. Bring him. But I will need to speak to you alone at some point."

"We can make that happen. Where are we meeting?"

"Heaven."

"I'm sorry? Did you say Heaven?"

"Yes, was I not clear?"

"Castiel…"

"I can get you in, Doctor, do not worry. I can lead your ship where it needs to go. It's not quite as complicated at you may think."

The Doctor frowned. He was not comfortable with any of this, but he had already agreed. "Fine. Lead the way."


	97. Heaven is For Real

_**Okay, I'm getting back into the swing of things. I almost forgot how fun this story was to write! And to think I ignored it for so long! Pssh, never again! Hopefully…**_

_**Thank you to **_**ThePredatoroftheDaleks, The Best Guest, snowdragon23, Guest, ****_and _BlackPetals4_ for your reviews. Especially to _BlackPetals4_; I really appreciate hearing your take on the story so far. As soon as I read it, I knew I had to hurry up and write the next chapter. I hope it's good. Enjoy!_**

* * *

Dean watched from across the room as the Doctor struggled to get the TARDIS to Cas. He didn't tell Dean where they were headed, just that Cas was going to help him get there, which struck Dean immediately as odd. Still, he didn't question it as the Doctor muttered to himself, as he tried to control a seemingly uncontrollable TARDIS.

Dean did not want to see Castiel. The last time he saw the angel was Doomsday. He had been blown apart by Lucifer, only to miraculously reappear, supposedly by God's doing. The whole thing was shady, but Dean didn't have a problem with that. He trusted Castiel after all that they had been through together. He could take Cas' word on that.

He didn't want to see Cas for the same reason he didn't go straight to Bobby, or listen to Sam and go straight to Lisa. He didn't want to be on Earth, and he didn't want to be near anyone who reminded him of his brother. The Doctor was the perfect choice because with him, Dean could go anywhere. And for most of his trips with the Doctor, he had been alone. No Sam. So there were fewer memories that could be reawaken by his time here.

But now he was going back. And he wasn't thrilled.

"When are you gonna tell me where we're meeting him, Doc?"

"When we get there... whenever that is."

"You know, Doctor, you not telling me where we're going makes me think we're going somewhere bad. Very bad. Should I be concerned?"

"Uh... no, I don't think so." The Doctor couldn't imagine what Heaven would be like. Dean had been, but he hadn't described the place itself much. But it must have been safe. Where, in the entirety of the universe, could be more safe then Heaven? Other than the TARDIS, of course.

"Great. You're fillin' me with confidence." Dean rolled his eyes, but shut up after that. He could trust the Doctor to not _purposefully _bring him into danger, and he could trust Castiel to not _unnecessarily_ ask him to go anywhere dangerous. So he'd just have to sit back and let this happen.

"Whoa- hang on, Dean." The Doctor said just as Dean could feel the TARDIS begin to shake beneath him. Dean grabbed onto the railing.

"What's going on?"

"I believe that would be out angelic friend." The Doctor answered, grinning. He released the controls. The TARDIS whirled on without his assistance. His job was done.

"Man... remind me to never let him drive my car."

Dean was completely knocked off his feet as the TARDIS came to an abrupt stop, apparently landing at their destination.

"Shit." Dean stood up as the Doctor approached him.

"You ready, Dean?"

Dean frowned. "Yeah, I guess."

Dean followed the Doctor to the TARDIS door. When the door was opened, Dean was temporarily blinded by the sunlight that shone down on then. He squinted his eyes, adjusting to the sudden change in brightness.

The sky was void of clouds, and as blue as he had ever seen it. The grass and trees were unnaturally green. He could hear birds chirping, and felt a gentle breeze against his skin as he stepped out into the field. He could feel the ground beneath his feet, so he knew it was real, and yet it didn't look real at all.

"What is this place?"

"You don't recognize it?" Castiel stepped out from behind the TARDIS. He was smiling slightly, his hands in the pockets of his trench coat.

"Should I?"

"I suppose not. You were never in this part, of course. But the feeling it gives you... it's unique. Unlike anything else you'll ever experience."

Dean looked up, letting the atmosphere of the place settle within him. After a few moments, it was clear. "Are we in _Heaven_?" That was the last place he ever expected to be. Why would Castiel bring them here, of all places? He didn't even know if Castiel was _allowed_ here anymore. He certainly hadn't been for the last year or so. But things must have changed since Lucifer went down if Castiel was strolling right through like he owned the place.

Castiel nodded. "I'm glad to see you are well, Dean. I was... worried when I could not find you on Earth."

Dean shrugged. "I'm just taking a little break, that's all. Having my much-earned mid-life crisis."

Castiel turned to the Doctor, next. "Doctor, thank you for coming when I called. I will not forget this."

"Don't thank me yet. We haven't discussed... whatever it was you wanted to talk about."

"Of course." He glanced over at Dean. "Dean, I need to speak to him alone. I can't tell you why—at least not yet."

"What does that mean?"

"It concerns matters of time. Things you will know one day, but not at the present time." Dean did not look impressed by this, but when he didn't retort, Castiel assumed he would not argue further. "With Michael in the cage, now, Heaven is... different. It's impossible to tell the future, but for the moment, you should be safe here. You can feel free to wander until we return."

"I'm sure that will go well," Dean grunted. "That's fine. You two go have your talk. You know where ill be."

"We'll be back." Castiel placed his hand on the Doctor's shoulder, and in the blink of an eye, they were gone. Dean was left in the middle of the field with only the TARDIS in sight.

At first he figured he'd just sit and wait for them, but he soon got bored of that. He decided to take Castiel's advice, instead, and take a look around.

It didn't take him long to completely lose sight of the TARDIS, his only marker as to where he was, and where he had been.

In the distance, he could see someone, standing in the middle of the field, holding what appeared to be a kite. At first he was hesitant to approach them, assuming they were an angel of some kind. But as he got closer, he had his doubts about that.

Most angels he encountered—especially the ones he's seen in Heaven—dressed in suits and ties and such. They had a very particular look to them. This man, though, wore nothing like that. He was wearing a bright red sweater and khaki slacks.

"Hello?" He called out once he was close. "Uh... excuse me?" The man turned, and waved at him with one hand, holding the rainbow colored kite in place with the other. He then walked to meet Dean halfway. "Hey, man." Dean started awkwardly, not knowing exactly what to say. "I'm Dean."

"I'm Benjamin." The man smiled, but he wasn't quite meeting Dean's eyes. "Are you one of the angels?" He said, nonchalantly. Dean supposed Heaven was the only place you could non sarcastically ask that. Or maybe a themed strip club.

Dean shook his head. "I was going to ask you the same question."

"No. Not me." His brow scrunched together as he glanced over at Dean before looking away, again. "They told me no one but angels could come here. This place belongs to me."

"I'm not an angel, but I'm here with one. I'm waiting for him, now. Don't worry, I'm just hanging out." The man nodded, and he looked content with the answer. "This must be your... Heaven, then?"

Benjamin nodded, looking up at his kite as he spoke. It was flying high and strong, despite the weak wind down at the ground. "It's my home."

Dean looked around. It was peaceful here, and it was no wonder to him why the man would enjoy it. "Well, I'm sorry for disturbing you. I'm just... wandering."

"I like to wander, too." Benjamin glanced behind him. "I like to see others homes. They are all so different."

"Homes? As in Heavens?" Dean clarified. "You can travel between Heavens?" Dean recalled meeting Ash in the afterlife. Most people were stuck to their own Heaven's forever, with few exceptions. Ash had hacked into Angel Radio, and was able to figure out a way to get around, himself. But Ash was sort of a genius.

"Well..." Benjamin began, hesitantly. "Yes... But you can't tell your angel. The angels don't like it when you leave your home."

Dean was impressed. "That's pretty impressive. How did you figure out how to do that?"

Benjamin shrugged.

"Do you think you could get me to a specific person's home?" Dean asked, giving his best charismatic smile. There were a few people he'd like to stop in on, and what other chance would be get? Chances were when he died for real, he wasn't going to end up here. Hell, if he died out in the universe with the Doctor, who knows where he would end up?

Benjamin looked a little uncomfortable with the idea. He frowned, thinking.

"I'm just looking for a friend of mine. Please, I'd really appreciate it."

"I can... I can help you get to your friend." He says, after a moment. "You just can't tell your angel."

"Of course. You have my word. My lips are sealed."

Benjamin nodded, a smile slowly crossing his face once again. "Come with me." He brought down the kite, slowly wrapping it up before leading Dean through the field, until a small house appears in Dean's vision.

"Is this where you live?"

"Yes."

"It's nice." It was a small, cottage-like house, with flowers lining the pathway up to it. The shutters were a deep blue color, and left wide open so you could see right through the window into the house.

Benjamin led Dean through the house, and into what appeared to be his bedroom. He opened the closet door, flicking on the light. He pushed the hanging clothes to either side, exposing another door, with some kind of complicated equation written on it in marker, much like the one Ash had on his door at the bar.

Dean glanced around, noticing other symbols on the walls; one's much more familiar to him. "Are these angel sigils?"

Benjamin looked at what he was pointing to. "I don't know what they are called."

"How did you learn these?" Dean asks, amazed.

Benjamin didn't reply.

"Were you a hunter? When you were alive?"

"Hunter? I don't eat meat."

"No, like a… never mind." Dean decided it was best to just shut up about it. If the guy could figure out how to hack into Heaven, he probably picked up a few things along the way. Either way, this guy was pretty smart.

"Who?"

"Who?"

"Who is your friend? That we are visiting?"

"Oh, right. Um… a woman named Ellen Harvelle."


	98. What Could Go Wrong with That?

_**Thank you **_**Best Guest**_** for your review! I'm glad your back! I always enjoy seeing you review. Like you said, I am getting near 100 chapters, and I plan on making chapter 100 a little special. Dean is going to take a little trip down memory lane and see some people he never thought he'd see again…**_

_**But that's 100. There's still two more chapters before all that: and here's the first one! Enjoy!**_

* * *

The Doctor and Castiel were in a house, suddenly. The Doctor looked around, but he didn't recognize it at all. "Don't worry, we won't bump into anybody here." Castiel seemed to notice his eyes wandering. "There's no one here."

"Where are we?"

"Kelly LaPalm's Heaven. Or, part of it, at least. Everyone has their own Heaven, but each one is quite large. It's all of their best memories in one place."

"Should I know who that is?"

"No."

"Then why are we here?"

Carried shrugged. "For privacy. I would have taken you to one of Heaven's offices, but... It's impossible to know where is safe, and where is dangerous in Heaven right now. With Michael gone, everything is pretty hectic."

"You told Dean he would be safe, alone!"

"He will be. That particular Heaven is one that I have specifically secured, as is this one. As long as he stays there, he will be fine. And trust me, there's no way he can get out."

The Doctor frowned. That seemed to be the exact thing Dean would do, no matter how impossible. When it came to finding loopholes and breaking rules, Dean was a genius. "What was so important that you had to bring me here, Castiel?"

"There are a couple different things. None of which you can tell Dean."

"You know I don't like that. Why shouldn't I?"

Carried took a deep breath. "How is he? Is he... dealing well?"

"You mean after Sam's death?" The Doctor regretted putting it so bluntly after he saw the look on Castiel's face. He forgot sometimes that Castiel was close to the Winchesters. They were good friends, and Castiel was mourning, too.

"Yes... I know he must be taking it hard. I hoped that his time with you would be helpful."

The Doctor tried a more gentle tone. "He's... well, he's dealing in the best way he can. You know how he is... But he just needs time. Eventually, he'll move on."

"Well, Doctor, that's the thing. I'm in the process now of... trying to retrieve Sam Winchester from the cage."

"You're _what_?"

"I think I can get him out. Not... not yet. But I truly think I can. But that's why I didn't want Dean to hear this. I don't want to get his hopes up if nothing comes of this."

The Doctor didn't know what to say. Of course this was excellent news. Sam Winchester deserved to be saved - he needed to be saved. But Dean had said it was impossible. "What makes you think you can get him out?"

"_I_ cannot. Most likely, anyway. The cage is sealed shut with power unlike any other. Any unprepared attempt at slipping through its cracks would not only be dangerous for the one doing so, but dangerous for the entire world. We cannot risk letting Lucifer, or Michael for that matter, out."

"Then how would we ensure that doesn't happen?"

"We'd need help. Not from any person. At least, no one who is alive, now."

"Is this how annoying I am when I'm vague? Because I must say, I'm not liking this."

Castiel sighed, looking moderately annoyed by the Doctor's impatience. "I need the Ring of Dispel."

"As in Lancelot's Ring of Dispel, from the legends?"

Castiel nodded. "Precisely. Except the Ring is no legend. It's quite real. Capable of dispelling virtually any magic spell, simply by wearing it."

"Virtually?"

"As far as I know, it has yet to meet its match. However, this is the power of God we are up against. If anything can stop the Ring, this would be it."

The Doctor wasn't convinced this was a good idea. He didn't keep up much with all the Heaven and Hell nonsense. But he knew enough that it wasn't to be taken lightly. "I don't know, Castiel. You just said it yourself, we can't go in unprepared."

"We would be prepared. As prepared as we possibly could be."

"But what if it doesn't work? Or worse, it works _too_ well, and Lucifer escapes."

"No plan will be perfect!" Castiel's voice was getting louder. "But we need something! We have to do something!"

"I know that! I agree with you! But we can't take just any risk! It have to be sure for it to be worth it."

"It's already worth it!" Castiel yelled, shushing himself immediately after. The Doctor was taken aback by the uncharacteristic emotion in Castiel's voice that time. He looked away, composing himself in such a fashion that it reminded the Doctor of Dean. Then he turned back to the Doctor, meeting his eyes. "This is Sam we're talking about, Doctor. He sacrificed himself for... for everyone. We owe it to him to at least try."

The Doctor frowned. "I know he was your friend, Castiel. But Dean told me Sam made it clear he didn't want anyone coming after him. It was too risky."

"No." Castiel argued. "He didn't want Dean to go after him. He wanted him to live a normal life like humans are supposed to do. But I'm not a human. I don't have some life waiting for me. Dean should be with you, where he's happy. But I can still get his brother back."

The Doctor knew this was a bad idea. He knew he shouldn't be a part of it. But... Castiel had a point. The Doctor had seen a lot of death throughout his long life. He knew what it was like to lose someone, and know there was nothing he could do. But in this case, maybe there _was_ something he could do. How could he let that chance go?

"Alright. Let's get his brother back. Where is this ring?"

"Well, that's the thing. I don't know for sure."

"Of course not."

"It was stored away in Heaven's Arsenal. It was supposed to be safe there, but... it appears someone broke in during all the commotion with the apocalypse. They emptied the place, entirely."

"Do you know who?"

"No. At least, I don't know who was behind it all, or if there were multiple players involved. But I do have a lead on one player. And I plan on finding her. Now."

"Her?"


	99. OIAD NE OALI

_**Thank you **_**to DTS, sherlockedbyben, OrangeRangerAlex96**_**, **_**The Best Guest**_**, **_**Guest, **_**and **_**snowdragon23**_** for your reviews.**_

_**Welcome back, **_**snowdragon23!**_** (And to anyone else returning, who I just don't remember as well. I appreciate everyone's input on this story!)**_

_**As for **_**DTS**_**, I certainly have plans for writing in 9 somehow, but I'm not sure how I'll go about doing it just yet. The Doctor first met Dean as 10, and made that clear, so if he did meet Dean as 9, he would either not know it was him, or somehow forget the encounter ever happened. Still, it would be a fun arc, since I really love 9!**_

_**Thanks again to everyone reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting! I hope you enjoy the next chapter!**_

* * *

"Are you sure Dean will be okay while we're gone? Should we at least find him and tell him, first?"

"Tell him what? That we're going across the universe in search of a woman who holds the key to getting his brother out of Lucifer's cage? How do you think that will come across?"

It was easier to get where they needed through the TARDIS, rather than use up a considerable amount of Castiel's mojo. When Castiel brought them back to the TARDIS, they had expected to find Dean waiting there, like they left him. But he was gone. They figured he just went to explore.

The Doctor sighed. "I just don't like leaving without knowing where he is. You said Heaven wasn't safe."

"Parts of it, no. This part, yes. Trust me, he'll be fine. Besides, as far as he knows, we'll only be gone a minute." The Doctor nodded reluctantly, and Castiel knocked on the TARDIS door. "So, are we going, or not?"

The TARDIS' door flew open at the snap of his fingers, and the Doctor led the way to the controls. "So where exactly are we heading?"

"Not very far, actually. Have you ever been to the Ahlean Star System?"

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Did you say Alien Star System?"

"No, AH-ley-AN. Never mind. The point is, that's where we're going. I can put in the coordinates if you'd like."

"I think that would be best." The Doctor moved out of the way so Castiel could do so.

The Doctor couldn't help but be skeptical of the angel's plan. He was acting much more emotional than the Doctor was used to from Castiel, and he wasn't being clear. He had a partial plan, at best. He always considered Castiel a man of logic and reason. In fact, that was usually where he and the Doctor differed the most. The Doctor had never been able to push his feelings down to clear his mind quite as well as Castiel could. He figured angels were just different – they didn't experience emotions in the same way. Maybe that was true, but obviously Castiel was special. The real question was, has Castiel always been this way, and just hid it well, or was something changing him? Were the Winchesters changing him?

The Doctor knew the effect the Winchester's could have on people. He had experienced it firsthand. They were all sorts of trouble – reckless, self-loathing, stubborn. And yet, you couldn't help but get dragged in by them. He loved them for it, he did. But it was certainly possible that they were getting to Castiel in one way or another. He was becoming more human the more time he spent with them.

"Doctor?" At the sound of Castiel's face, the Doctor realized he had been spaced out, staring blankly at nothing in particular. "Did you hear me? I said I was done."

"Yes, sorry!" The Doctor got to work right away. "You may want to hold on to something."

"I don't think that will be necessar-" Castiel was interrupted as he stumbled backwards at the sudden jolt of the TARDIS. He grabbed onto the console along with the Doctor, and they travelled in silence through both time and space.

* * *

"The locals call this place OIAD NE OALI." Castiel explained as they stepped off. The Doctor had to pause for a moment and take it all in. It was as if he had stepped onto a giant cloud, and yet he could feel the solid surface beneath his feet. He knelt down and pressed his palm against the pinkish mist, and was surprised when his hand went all the way through, and yet his feet stayed where they were, almost hovering. "It's magical. OIAD NE OALI is a gas giant. No one should be able to live on the surface, but the NE AVINI have found a way. Even I don't really understand how they've done it."

The Doctor stood up, unable to hide the wonder in his eyes. It wasn't every day that he was completely taken aback by a new planet. Usually he had an idea of what was to come. But not today. Castiel was able to show him things he otherwise would have never been given the opportunity to see. He supposed that was how most people felt about him. "Where are they? The NE AVINI?"

Castiel reached out his arms into the mist. "They're everywhere. You cannot see them, but I can. Here," Castiel motioned for the Doctor to go forward, and when he did, he pressed his fingers against his forehead. When the Doctor opened his eyes again, he could see a white, shimmery figure standing behind Castiel. He glanced around, noticing many more figures. "You cannot see them entirely. I am incapable of giving you that power. But you can see their souls. Only they can give you the power to see their true forms."

"How do they decide to let me?"

Castiel shrugged. "It's up to them. If and when they find you worthy, they will grant it to you."

"So where do we go, from here, Castiel? What exactly are we looking for?"

"I have reason to believe that Mara is hiding out, here. She seems to think that because so few humans know of this place, no one will think to look for her, here."

"Mara?" The Doctor repeated. He knew Mara. He had run into her along with Donna, Dean, and Sam, quite a while ago. Jack had been chasing her down for a while, but he would not give a solid reason. This couldn't be the same Mara that had stolen the weapons of Heaven, could it?

"Yes. Why, do you know her?"

The Doctor didn't want to give anything away to Castiel that the angel shouldn't know. With he, Castiel, Jack, and Mara all able to travel through time, there was no telling where in everyone's time line had they all come together. It was confusing, yes, but mostly it was dangerous. He decided to play dumb. "No, I… I was just wondering why you think a _human_ stole your weapons. When you said woman, I thought you meant angel, or… something more powerful."

"She's not alone. She's obviously working with someone. But for the moment, that's unimportant. We need to get the ring from her, and bring her back to Heaven for interrogation. Eventually, she'll tell us who she is working for, and where the rest of the arsenal is. But for now, the ring is the number one priority."

The Doctor nodded. "Understood. Now… shall we?"

* * *

**OIAD NE OALI**_** is Enochian for "The Holy Place", and**_** NE AVINI**_** is Enochian for "The Holy Ones".**_


	100. Heaven's Finest

_**This one took a little too long to get out, but you may see why. I wanted it to be a longer chapter, since it's the big 100! **_

_**I cannot believe that this the hundredth chapter. Plus, on May 12**__**th**__**, it will be **_**Imaginary Friend's**_** 2 year anniversary! Two years! I can't believe that I started writing this in 2014. It feels like such a long time ago.**_

_**Thank you so much to everyone who has stuck it out this far! I'm so happy that you're enjoying it! Hopefully you'll equally enjoy this extra-long chapter!**_

_**Thank you, again!**_

* * *

Heaven had treated Ellen well.

On Earth, there was always a whirlwind of problems and troubles following her around. The hunting world was never one that she wanted to be a part of, but she had done her part, anyway. After her husband passed away, tragically, she raised her daughter the best she could; and did one hell of a job, if you ask her.

Her own death, and her daughters, were also tragic. But they had died for a good cause – killing the Devil himself. They died to give the Winchester's a chance to save the world from certain destruction. It wasn't a bad way to go.

Ellen had to watch her daughter die, but she didn't have much time to grieve before she, too, met her end. In a grand explosion, everything around her went white, and then black. And then there was nothing.

And suddenly, her eyes opened; her vision blurry, her ears ringing. As her vision and hearing cleared, she found herself in a familiar house. It wasn't the Roadhouse, where she had spent decades of her life. Instead it was her old home, the one she had shared with her husband. The house that Jo had been born.

She was sitting on the worn down couch, the TV in front of her was on mute. She looked around and saw a picture frame on the side table. She reached forward and brought it toward her. It was an old picture of her and Bill. His arm was wrapped around her, pulling her into his chest. She remembered taking that picture well. It was been such a long time since she had seen it.

Suddenly, she could hear a child crying from another room. Instinctively, she left the frame on the cushion and got up, rushing towards the sound. It had been _years_ since she had been here, but she remembered the house well. She bee lined right towards the nursery. The door was already opened, and as she entered, she stopped right in her tracks. "Bill?"

Bill turned around, a newly hushed baby in his arms. His eyes brightened as he saw her. "Ellen," He whispered, putting one finger on his lips. "She's okay. Just cranky. I got her."

Ellen tried to close her gaping mouth.

Bill smiled, tilting his head. "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Ellen cleared her throat. "No, I just… nothing."

Bill motioned for her to come closer, and Ellen followed. He leaned down and kissed her, gently, Jo still quiet in his arms. Ellen closed her eyes, taking in the kiss. It had been such a long time since Bill… she could barely remember what it was like.

She knew this was Heaven. It had to be. There was no other explanation. It felt so real, it couldn't be just a dream. And she was content enough to spend the rest of her life here, with Bill at his best, and Jo.

Until one day, she had a visitor.

She had no idea how much time had passed. Time didn't work the same way it worked on Earth. But she did know that she had been here a long time, and in all that time, nothing had changed. She would play with baby Jo, laugh with Bill, fall asleep on his chest, and wake up to do it all again. There were no changes in the routine, that much she knew for certain.

So a visitor was particularly odd.

There was a knock on her door, and at first she didn't know what to do. "Aren't you going to get that, Ellen?" Bill walked into the living room with a drink in his hand. Ellen was sitting on the couch, holding Jo, staring at the door.

"I, um…" She didn't know what to say. Bill went ahead to open the door. "Wait, no!" Ellen stood abruptly. She didn't want him to answer the door. She didn't know what would happen if he did. But it was too late.

The door clicked open, and Ellen was shocked to see who was at the other side. "Ash?"

Ash seemed almost as surprised to see her as she did to see him. He smiled, but his eyes looked sad. "I wish I could say it was good to see you, Ellen."

Suddenly, Bill disappeared, vanishing into thin air. Ellen looked down at her arms, which were now empty. Jo was gone. "What…? What's going on? Jo? Bill!"

Ash stepped into the house, which was darker now, than it was before, as if all the lights had gone out. They hadn't. "Its okay, Ellen. They'll be back."

"Where did they… what are you doing here?"

"Do you know where you are?"

Ellen was about to say, "I'm in my house, of course!" But she stopped herself. Instead, "Yes. This is Heaven. I know."

"This isn't just Heaven. This is _your_ Heaven. It's made up of _your_ memories. It's not quite real, but… it's not fake, either." Ellen closed her eyes. It wasn't that she didn't _know_ this was all fake – she knew she was dead. She knew where she was. But she had tried not to think about that. It was easier, happier, to pretend. "Bill, Jo, they aren't really here. But I am. Once I leave, they'll be back, as if they never left."

Ellen felt her eyes watering. "Oh, Ash…" She ran forward, bringing him into a hug. He hugged her back. "It's so good to see you again."

"I was hoping to see you as an old woman. Not… well, so soon."

Ellen let him go, backing up a little. "Yeah, well, this is the hunter's life, I suppose. How did you know I was here? How did you find me?"

"I did what I did best. I found my way into the system. I can get pretty much anywhere I want. Including here." Ash grinned for a moment, recalling hacking into "Angel Radio". He had been pretty proud of himself. But his grin soon faded. "As for how I knew you were here… Sam and Dean told me."

Ellen felt her heart skip a beat. No, they couldn't have died. They were supposed to kill Lucifer. "Are they….?"

Ash shook his head. "No. Well, they… were. But they're back on Earth, now. It's a long story."

Ellen wanted to hear the story, and know more about what had happened to the boys. But first, she had a more important question. "Ash, can you… have you seen Jo?"

"Not yet. But I planned on going to her, next. I figured you'd want to join me."

Now the tears were flowing freely. She wiped them away from her cheeks, nodding. "Yes. I'd very much like that."

She followed Ash into her bedroom. He pulled a piece of chalk out from his pocket and began scribbling something on her closet door. "I'm making a portal of sorts, here. It'll be a one way door into Jo's Heaven. And I'll leave one from hers to yours, as well, once we get there. That way, you'll always have access to each other."

"Thank you, Ash. Thank you so much."

"Of course. When I come back, I'll make one to the Roadhouse, as well."

"The Roadhouse?"

"That's where I am."

When he was done, he asked if she was ready. She nodded without hesitation.

He opened the door.

* * *

Jo sat at the counter, her feet tucked underneath her. Her hair was tied back into pig tails, and there was a party hat sitting between them on top of her head which read "Birthday Girl" in big pink letters. She held a fork in one hand, and a fork in the other, as she waited for the waitress to bring her pancakes.

Her mother sat beside her, much calmer, but with the same wide smile on her face.

It was Jo's eighth birthday, but she was not eight, anymore. Her hair was still in pigtails, and she still wore the same purple dress her mother had bought for just this occasion, but she was her 23 year old self.

Her mother, however, was much younger. Her face was brighter, her hair was longer. She looked happier than Jo remembered her being, but she didn't question it. She was enjoying herself too much.

"Here you go, Birthday Girl." The waitress smiled, kindly, putting down a plate of strawberry pancakes, topped with loads of whipped cream.

"Thank you!" Jo chowed down into the pancakes, and her mother started eating her own.

"Slow down, hunny, or you're going to get yourself sick. We still have a few more things planned for the day, and you don't want it to end early."

"Is daddy going to come home in time?" Jo asked, innocently. She didn't know exactly why she was asking, as she knew the answer. But she felt compelled to, anyway, just as she had asked when she was eight. It was one of the very last times she ever had to ask.

Her mother smiled softly, shaking her head. "Probably not, Jo. I'm sorry. Hopefully he'll be here next year."

Jo would normally feel sad about her father's absence, but it had been too good of a day to be sad, now.

Behind her, she heard the bell ring, indicating that someone had opened the door to the diner. She turned almost off-handedly to see who walked in.

Her fork dropped from her fingers, clanking against the plate. She watched her mother walk into the diner, and yet she was sitting right next to her. This version of her mother, though, was much older. There was a man there with her as well, who she recognized to be Ash.

Except that didn't make any sense. None of this did. She turned to her mother – the one sitting next to her, but she was gone. Jo looked around frantically for her, but she was nowhere to be found. She looked back to her mother – the one by the door – and Ash. "Mom, Ash… what's going on?"

Ellen was finding it hard to breathe, let alone speak, so Ash answered. "Do you know where you are?"

* * *

Heaven had treated Ellen well. Once she had her daughter again, and she had Ash, she knew things were going to be okay.

At Jo's request, Ash spent his time scouring the Heavens for her father, Bill. He promised her he would find her, but so far he wasn't finding much luck. But Heaven was a big place, and it was going to take him some time.

Ellen, Jo, and Ash all spent their time in their own Heavens, content enough to relive their memories. It was, after all, what people did. But more often than not, they would find themselves back at the Roadhouse, drinking beer and having their own trips down memory lane.

In fact, that was exactly where Ellen was about to go, when she heard a strange noise coming from her bedroom. Jo was fast asleep –the baby one, anyway – and Bill was sitting right beside her. She thought it might be Ash, coming to find her for some reason, but she couldn't be sure. "I'll be right back, Bill."

She stood in front of the bedroom door, listening. She was trying to prepare herself for whatever was on the other side. "Are you sure she's here?" She heard a strange voice ask.

"You're the one who brought us here," A much more familiar voice responded. "If you brought us to the right place, then yeah, I'm sure." Ellen's eyes widened. It couldn't possibly be…

She opened the door, slowly at first, and then all at once. Even though she knew who she was going to see, the sight of Dean Winchester standing in front of her still brought tears to her eyes. "Dean?"

Dean's eyes looked softer than she had ever seen them. He looked thrilled to see her, and guilty at the same time. "Ellen…"

"Well, come here boy." Ellen walked forward, opening her arms. Dean leaned down to hug her. Her arms wrapped around him as tight as she could. She didn't think she was ever going to see him again. "I have missed you so much."

Dean let out a shaky breath, like he was going to laugh and cry at the same time. "I'm so sorry, Ellen…"

Ellen pulled away, keeping her hands on his shoulders. "You ain't got nothing to be sorry for, boy. You didn't do anything wrong."

Dean nodded, although he didn't look like he believed her. He glanced over at the man standing beside him, who had been quietly waiting for the greeting to finish. "Sorry, this is Benjamin. He's the one who got me here."

"Well, I thank you for that." Ellen nodded toward him. Benjamin smiled politely, but looked down to the floor. She looked back to Dean. "I hate to ask this, Dean, but… how are you here? Are you…?"

Dean shook his head. "I'm not- I didn't… I'm fine. I, uh… I'm here with Castiel. But he's off doing something, so I'm on my own. And I wanted to see how you guys were doing."

Ellen let out a relieved sigh. "Good. I'm sure you are your brother have a lot of work to do, on Earth."

Dean frowned. "Yeah, uh… about that…"

"Oh, Dean, I'm so sorry..." Ellen gently squeezed Dean's shoulder. "Is he… here?"

"It's a long story."

Ellen could tell Dean didn't want to go any farther, so she decided it was best to drop it for the moment. But later, she would have to find more information. "Of course, dear. Come on, let's go find Jo and Ash." She reached over to Benjamin. "You too, Benjamin."

* * *

Dean followed Ellen into the all familiar Roadhouse. Back home, it had burned down to the ground a long time ago, and every once in a while Dean couldn't help but miss it. As they walked through the door frame, he immediately saw Ash, standing behind the counter. Ash looked up, expecting to see Ellen. When they locked eyes, Ash immediately grinned. "Dean Winchester. You just can't stay away, can you?"

"How are you doing up here, Ash?" Ash came from behind the counter do give Dean a hug.

"I'm doin' just fine. I wish I could ask you how you've been doin', but since you're here, it can't be good."

"No, I'm not… I'm just visiting. With Cas, and friend of mine who just happens to be an angel."

"And Sam?"

Dean looked down. "Not as lucky."

Ash nodded silently.

"Ash, sweetie, have you seen Jo? I wanted her to see Dean."

"She should be here soon." Ash assured her. Then, for the first time, seemed to notice Benjamin. "Hey, man, I'm Ash."

"Benjamin."

"You wanna drink? I got anything you could want."

"A Coca-Cola."

"Comin' right up."

Dean motioned for Benjamin to follow him to the counter. The two of them, and Ellen, sat down as Ash served them. "You know, Ash, Benjamin is the one who got me here. He figured out the same thing you did, and he can get pretty much anywhere in Heaven."

"Is that so?" Ash grinned. "You and me should chat, later, Ben."

Suddenly, the front doors to the Roadhouse flew open. Everyone turned to see Jo strolling in. Dean's voice caught in his throat when he saw her. She was smiling. She looked happy. She was beautiful as always. Her mouth was open, but she barely managed to get a sound out before she saw Dean sitting at the bar.

"Hey, Jo."

Dean stood, and Jo ran towards him, practically jumping into his arms. "I've missed you." Jo laid her head on his shoulder, her eyes closed as she let herself sink into him.

"I missed you, too," Dean admitted. He pulled away. "You look good. You look happy. I'm glad."

"It's hard not to be happy, here, I guess." Jo gestured around her, and Dean wasn't sure if she meant Heaven, or just the Roadhouse. "It's hard not to be nostalgic, too."

"I can tell."

Jo settled down beside him at the bar. Ash served her a drink, as well.

Dean explained how he got here – conveniently leaving out the Doctor from his explanation. Ben and Ash chatted between themselves, and Dean could help but glance over every once in a while at the weirdest conversation he had ever witnessed.

Dean, Ellen, and Jo talked for a long time. Dean didn't even really notice time was passing. It didn't feel like it, anyway. He just knew that it had to have passed, since they had said so much, and he had drank so much. The beer tasted like beer, and it made him feel warm inside like beer, but he didn't feel drunk, no matter how much he drank.

It was so nice to see Jo, again. So healthy, so… alive. Even if she wasn't, really. Some days, she was the little sister he never had. Some days, she was… so much more. Not that any of that mattered, anymore. He was just happy she was well. She had her mother, and her father, and Ash. She had the Roadhouse. She had every good memory she could remember – and some she didn't. She was going to be fine. He didn't have to worry.

It didn't take long for them to ask the obvious question. So he told them about Lucifer, and the apocalypse. He told them about Sam, jumping into the pit. It was a hard conversation.

But then they told him about Heaven. Ellen told him about being with Bill, again. Not the Bill she used to know, but the Bill she always knew he could be. Jo told him about fishing trips with her father, and birthday parties with her mother. Dean told them about what he remembered from his Heaven.

And when they got through catching each other up, they reminisced a bit themselves. They didn't have a long history together, but they had a full one.

Dean felt good for the first time in a long time. He was happy to be with friends again; to be with family again. He tried not to think about Ellen and Jo too often, since when he did he was usually overwhelmed with guilt over their deaths. But much like Ash, they didn't seem to mind. Heaven was a nice place. They were happy where they were. It wasn't perfect, and it wasn't real, but it was here. It was at their fingertips. It _felt_ real, and that was what's important.

Dean wondered if he would ever be able to accept it. Would he get used to the repetitive memories like they have? Would he ever be content with simply remembering? He was always a doer. He rarely stopped and thought back. He tried not to. It seemed like it would be next to impossible to simply _stop_. Especially knowing that Sam would never have this. Sam would never get to experience this like he deserved.

When they began winding down, Dean noticed Ellen glance over at Ash. The two of them made eye contact, and shared a knowing look. "What? Is something wrong?"

Ash walked over to the three of them. "No, not at all. In fact, something is the _opposite_ of wrong. Depending."

No one else spoke, and Dean shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "It seems that there's something I don't know here. Anyone care on filling me in?"

Ash nodded. "Last time I saw you, I promised I would keep an eye out for John and Mary Winchester. Well, I've been looking all over, and, well… I found Mary."

Dean gripped tighter to his bottle. He wanted to comment, to clarify, but for a moment he couldn't say anything.

"I haven't found John yet, but… I'm still working on it. I got more than enough time. But… I figured, since you're here… you may want to see her."

"Uh…" Dean glanced over to Ellen and Jo, both of whom were smiling encouragingly. "Yeah. Yeah, man."

Dean stood and followed Ash to the back door. "Go ahead and take your time. The door will be open for you to come back whenever you're ready."

"Thank you, Ash. I… I don't even know what to say."

"Don't worry about what to say to me. I'd be thinking about what to say to her."

Dean took a deep breath. "I don't think I could ever be ready for that."

Ash nodded. "Understandable."

Ash opened the door, and backed up. Dean passed through the doorway, and stepped out into a very familiar house. His old house. The living room was empty, but immediately, he could hear noises from upstairs.

Dean felt like he was shaking. He climbed the stairs, slowly, listening for indications of what was going on upstairs.

"Come on, Dean. It's time for bed." It was his mother's voice. Just like he remembered.

"But mommy," That was him. His voice was so high pitched and small, that he must have been very young. "Not yet!"

"Dean."

Dean got to the top of the stairs, and instinctively turned toward his own room. The door was wide open, and even from down the hallway, he could see into the room. There was a little boy sitting on the floor, surrounded by figurines and toys. The boy, who Dean knew was a much younger him, crossed his arms decidedly, and stared up at someone Dean could not yet see.

Mary sighed, and walked forward, into view. She knelt down beside him. She smiled lovingly and opened her mouth as though to say something, but instead, suddenly turned and looked straight at the real Dean. Dean's eyes widened, but he said nothing.

"Dean?" Mary stood, facing him. The little boy that was only a memory disappeared as she did so, leaving just the two of them. Mary's head was tilted, and her face was twisted in confusion. "Is that you?"

Dean nodded, swallowing hard.

Mary made her way to Dean, and Dean could feel his body relaxing as she neared. He let out a slow breath as she extended her arm, cupping his face in her hand. Her eyes softened as she touched him, a smile forming on her lips. "It's really you, isn't it?"

"Mom… I've missed you."

She wrapped her arms around him, and he did the same to her. He laid his head on her shoulder. He couldn't remember a time that he felt this safe, this happy.

"I've missed you too." Mary pulled away so that she could see his face. "You've grown so much. Into such a handsome man." Dean smiled. "I wish I could have been there, you know that."

"Of course, Mom. I wish you could have, too."

"Well, none of that matters now." Mary brushed the back of her hand against his cheek. "What matters is that you're here, now. You can tell me everything."

Mary turned to go toward the stairs, but Dean stopped her. "Mom, I'm not… I can't stay. I'm not… I'm only visiting."

"Visiting? What do you mean?"

Dean was worried that if he stayed for too long, he would never want to leave. If he sat here with his mother, and truly told her everything, he'd never want to go back to Earth. What was the point? Without Sam, or John for that matter, there was nothing for him, there.

The Doctor was another story. He wasn't quite on Earth, but he wasn't in Heaven, either. But Castiel got him here once, and maybe he could do it again. Maybe the Doctor could visit.

"I'm not actually… dead. A friend of mine – an angel – brought me here. But I can't stay long."

"You're friends with an angel?" Mary repeated.

"Yeah, it's complicated."

"My, my… you've done so much with your life, haven't you?" Mary smiled again, but this time, it was much sadder. There was a pain behind it that Dean couldn't understand. "You know, I never wanted you to have this life. I wanted my boys to grow up normal, like I never was allowed. Become doctors or lawyers… husbands, and fathers."

"I know." Dean recalled hearing past Mary telling him the same thing before she found out that Dean was her son. Before then, Dean didn't even know that his mother was a hunter when she was younger. Not even John knew.

"But I've heard things, you know," Mary continued. "Heaven has been… off for a few years now. And every once in a while, I hear things about what's going on down on Earth. And I've heard some about you, Dean. You and Sam." Dean didn't know what to say, so he stayed silent. "I'm not saying that I'm glad you grew up to be hunters, but… you didn't just grow up to be hunters. You grew up to be hunters that even the angels have respect for. You grew up to be the best hunters out there, and I am so proud of you for that."

Dean had to look down for a moment. He never thought he'd ever hear that from his mother, again. _I'm so proud of you_. It was something he rarely heard from his dad, but when he did, it meant the world to him. But his dad had been gone for a while, now, so he was even less prepared to hear it, now. "Thank you, Mom."

"Now, I'm sure you have a lot to get back to. Being such a widely known hunter, and all."

"I'd rather stay." Dean admitted.

"I know. But you'll be back. You and your brother."

Dean didn't have the heart to tell her.

"I'll see you soon, Mom."

"Not too soon. Promise me."

"I promise."

* * *

Dean made it back to Ellen, Jo, and Ash. He wanted to stay and visit longer with them, as well, but he knew that his emotions were high at the moment, and he had to get away from all of this, soon. Besides, Castiel and the Doctor would be back soon, looking for him.

There were many hugs and heartwarming goodbyes. It was hard to walk away from people he considered family for so long. First to his mother, and then to them. It was wonderful to see them again, and he knew he would see them again before too long.

He and Benjamin left, going back to Benjamin's Heaven so that Dean could wait for Cas and the Doctor.

After they were gone, Ellen, Jo, and Ash stood around for a few moments, silently. They were all thinking the same thing, but no one wanted to say it aloud. Instead, they decided to go off on their own, once more.

"I guess I'll see you two later," Ash was the first to speak. He nodded to them both, and went back to his desk to get back to work. There were still several people he had yet to find. Heaven was full of people worth finding.

Ellen and Jo were left alone.

"Well, I'll see you soon, Mom." Jo smiled, waving.

"I love you, sweet heart." There was something about the way her mother said it that put Jo off a bit. She wondered if it was hard for Ellen to see Dean, safe and sound, only to have to say goodbye all over again, and watch him walk right back into danger. She and the Winchester boys had a rough start, but… in the end, they were family. Ellen cared for them like they were her own sons. As sad as it would be for Dean to have gotten to this place the old fashioned way… at least it would be permeant. He would be okay.

"I love you too, Mom."

Jo waved goodbye to Ash, knowing it wouldn't be too long before she saw him again. She left through the front doors of the Roadhouse, surprised to find herself back in front of the bar. Except this time, Ash wasn't there. And neither was her mom.

"Hey, come over here." A slightly drunken voice came from the counter. It was Dean. Several years younger, still in that old leather jacket. He was looking at her over his shoulder, a sly grin on his lips. There were a couple of empty beers and a half-empty one to his side. He was shuffling a pack of cards.

Jo walked around to the other side, and leaned against the counter. "Not this again."

"What? You think you can beat me?"

"I've done it before. And you were sober, then. Now you couldn't beat me if I was six." Dean scoffed at that, making Jo blush.

"Alright, Harvelle. I'll make you eat those words. Grab another couple of beers, would ya?"

Jo rolled her eyes, but grabbed two bottles just as Dean finished off the one from before. She handed him one, and then pulled one of the stools over to the other side, so that she could sit across from him. "Get ready to get your ass kicked, Winchester."

Dean laughed, grinning. "You're on."

As Dean dealt the card, Jo's eyes stayed directed at him. She knew she could spend the rest of her life in this moment. And better yet, she knew she would.


	101. The Windy City

_**Whoa whoa whoa, has it really been that long? I guess I'm still chugging along. Hope you enjoy the chapter, no matter how late it is.**_

_**Thank you to OrangeRangerAlex96, The Best Guest, snowdragon23, and AshlynDecia. I especially wanted to mention AshlynDecia, who just started this story, and has been commenting every couple of chapters. It makes me so happy to see their reactions to each major event, especially since it's been such a long time since I wrote it. I wrote the first chapter to this story on May 12**__**th**__**, 2014, more than two years ago, now. It's really quite weird and amazing to me to have made it this far. **_

_**Thank you so much to all who are reading this. I appreciate it more than you could imagine.**_

The Doctor stood back and let Castiel do his thing. It was odd, not being the one to converse with the natives. He loved meeting new people, and new species. He was always the one to make conversation. But with the NE AVINI, he didn't even know where to start. He didn't even know if he _could_ talk to them. But Castiel could, so the angel took the lead.

Except he wasn't actually talking. The angel's eyes were closed and he looked to be concentrating. When the Doctor tried to ask him what he was doing, Castiel just shushed him, and continued doing what he was doing. It certainly wasn't the weirdest experience the Doctor had had with another species, so he just waited patiently.

After quite some time, Castiel's eyes flickered open. But when the Doctor looked at them, they were not the blue he had come to know. His irises were drained of color, and were an eerie silver color, barely distinguishable from the whites surrounding it. And his pupils seems to be missing entirely. But that was only for a moment. Castiel blinked a few times, and they were back to normal.

"So, did you… speak to them?" The Doctor watched the shimmering figures that had been gathering around Castiel begin to disperse.

"In a way, yes. They have seen Mara. They confirmed that she is here."

"How are they sure it's the right woman?"

"There aren't many humans that come here. In fact, she is probably the only one to have ever come here," Castiel explained. "They said they would show us where she is hiding. Follow me." Castiel began to follow one of the figures, and the Doctor followed him.

"How can Mara survive here? I thought only the NE AVINI knew how?"

"The NE AVINI are helping her, much like they are helping us stay afloat. The NE AVINI do not discriminate against anyone who comes to OIAD NE OALI seeking asylum. Although, it is unlikely that they have allowed her to see their true form. They are very picky about that."

"But they allow you?"

"The angels and the NE AVINI have a history. We've both existed as long as the other can remember. Angel's always speak as though they were God's very first creation, but that fact has never been proven. The universe existed before God began his creation. Something must have been here. And when God's creation falls… something must remain."

There wasn't much to see on the walk to Mara. Swirls of wind and gases followed behind them, flowing through their hair and rippling through their trench coats. They couldn't see more than three feet in front of them, and had to rely on the NE AVINI to guide them safely.

Off in the distance, the Doctor could hear a much more intense wind, in the direction they were headed. He was nervous about this, but did not voice his concern. He did not want to question the NE AVINI's judgment, just in case.

But soon, the noise was getting louder and louder, and they could feel themselves being pushed back by the sheer force of the wind, until suddenly the Doctor could see the cause. Just a few feet in front of them, was what appeared to be a massive tornado. Except unlike a regular storm, it seemed to be hovering in place, unmoving. The Doctor covered his eyes the best he could from the winds that were whipping around him. Castiel, on the other hand, looked straight on. "What is this thing?"

Castiel explained, "This is where Mara is hiding out. The NE AVINI are protecting her."

"Protecting her? Why would they do that?"

"Because she asked. Like I said, they aren't judgmental. They do not care about her past, or what she's done. But they also don't care about ours. They are willing to take down the barrier for us."

Suddenly, the wind began to die down, and the Doctor could start to see clearly, again. As the storm died, a shape became visible in it's center. A human shape. A woman. Mara.

Mara held a long wooden staff in one hand, and a blade in the other. She faced the angel and the Time Lord, her eyes filled with distrust. Luckily, she did not seem to recognize the Doctor, meaning it was before his time.

"Mara, I assume." Castiel greeted her, coldly. Mara's eyes narrowed.

"And who the hell are you?"

"You have something that belongs to me. A lot of things, actually. I'm here to get them back."

Realization rolled over Mara's face. She seemed to relax a little now that she knew who she was up against. "Ah, you're an angel. Sorry, dude, but you're too late. I don't have them anymore."

"Where are the weapons?"

"We all work for someone, buddy. We all have someone to report to. I don't do this shit for myself."

Castiel frowned. "I know you're working for someone. Someone powerful. Otherwise you wouldn't have been able to get to them."

Mara's lips curled into a smirk. "Are you saying I couldn't do it on my own?"

"Break into Heaven's arsenal? Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying."

Mara's eyes moved over to the Doctor. Their eyes locked. She addressed Castiel as she spoke. "Who's you're friend?"

Castiel glanced over at the Doctor. "Does it matter?"

"It does to me."

"Look, I know you're working for someone. But I would also bet my life that you didn't give up everything," Castiel said, knowingly. He knew people like Mara. They were just out for themselves. There was no way whoever paid her to steal the weapons from Heaven's arsenal did not pay her enough for her to cough up everything. What human would pass up the chance to have a real weapon of God in their hands? Hopefully, she would have kept the ring they were looking for. But if not, she might still be able to get them to it. "I'm just looking for one object. If you give it to me, I'll turn my cheek just this once, and let you go."

Mara seemed to contemplate the proposal. "Sorry, angel. But I don't trust you. I know better than that."

"Mara, listen to us," The Doctor butted in. "We don't want to hurt you. We're just trying to help our friend. You must understand that. You have friends; close ones, I'm sure? All we want to do is help _our_ friend. Nothing more, nothing less." The Doctor felt bad about lying to her. He knew Castiel planned on taking her in whether or not she cooperated. But she had committed quite the crime, and the Doctor wasn't sure he had must jurisdiction in Heavenly affairs. He figured he'd just stay out of it.

Mara paused, thinking. "What's your name, again?"

"Castiel."

"No, not you."

"The Doctor."

"Doctor what?"

"Just the Doctor."

"Hmm." Mara studied him for a moment longer. "Well, Doctor, I'm sorry about your friend. I know what you mean, and I wish I could help. But I only have one weapon left. And you're looking at it." Mara held up her staff. "I'm going to leave now. I thought this planet was safe, but obviously I was wrong. Thanks for letting me know. Maybe we'll meet again, eh Doctor? If we do, maybe I'll be able to help you more with your friend. Until then, have a nice life."

Mara reached into her pocket, and that's when Castiel leaped forward. He drew his Angel Blade and went right for her. The Doctor had no idea of his plan, but the moment Castiel moved, he saw Mara aim her staff at him. "Castiel, wait!"

The Doctor grappled at the tail of Castiel's trench coat and tried to pull him backwards. Suddenly, the Doctor found himself standing between Mara and Castiel at a very inopportune time. Before Mara had a chance to react to the switch, a bright ball of white light was already escaping from the end of the staff. It hurtled toward the Doctor at a surprising speed.

The Doctor felt the force hit him straight in the chest. He was knocked backwards, but long before his head hit the ground, his vision went black, and his body went rigid.


	102. You Cant Escape the Past or Anyone in it

_**As a little update on me: I am currently going into my second year of college. I am currently job hunting. I am currently trying to write my own novel. I am currently writing a DND campaign. And, as always, I'm writing this fic. As you can tell, I've been a little busy. So just know that I am trying to write this as quickly as possible, but I have a lot going on and I can't write **_**Imaginary Friends**_** as often as I'd like. **_

_**Still, I hope you guys like the updates when I make them. And hey, if you don't, let me know that, too! I am always open to constructive criticism! I want to write the best possible story for you guys, 'cause you really deserve it! Thank you so much for reading, favoriting, following, and reviewing! And enjoy!**_

* * *

Dean was ready to go home. He had just been through an emotional rollercoaster, and he didn't think he could handle anymore. He followed Benjamin through the doorway, knowing he would soon find himself in a peaceful meadow, where the TARDIS would be waiting for him. But, of course, things going to plan? That just wasn't the Winchester way.

Instead, Dean walked right into what could only be described as the most stereotypical cabin in the woods. You know the one. It's old and dusty, like no one had been here in years. The floorboards creak beneath your feet as you walk. Even during the day, there's an off darkness that seems to envelope the entire cabin. Pretty much as creepy as creepy cabins get.

Except, Dean wasn't creeped out by the cabin at all. Because he had been here before.

"Benjamin… why are we here?" Dean turned around to face Benjamin, who looked down at the ground.

"I, uh… Ash told me about you. Not a lot, just a little bit." Benjamin cleared his throat. "He told me about your parents, and I, well, I know you already saw your mom…"

Dean felt like his throat has suddenly closed. "What are you trying to tell me, Benjamin? Are you saying-"

"Ash couldn't find him, and I just thought… maybe I could help you out-"

They both heard the unmistakable sound of creaking footsteps from across the room. They both turned to see who else was here. But of course, they both knew who it was already. Dean just didn't want to admit it to himself yet. Now he had to.

"Dean?"

"Dad?"

John Winchester. John fucking Winchester. A tidal wave of a thousand different emotions seemed to crash into Dean as he stared at his father. He had no clue what he was supposed to be feeling. When he saw his mother, it was obvious: joy. Love. Excitement, even. A lifetime had gone by without his mother, and he had missed her every single second of that time. He was more than just thrilled to see her. But with John, it was different.

There was a part of him – that obedient soldier who would still, to this day, do anything for him – wanted him to be happy. It wanted him to feel relieved that his father, who had raised him all by himself after Mary died, was safe in Heaven. But there was another part of him that felt scared. Scared to see his father, who had abandoned him over and over again; who had left him with responsibilities far beyond what he was capable of handling. Who made him feel ashamed and frightened more often that safe and loved. That part of him, who had really only felt free to come out after John died, was telling him to leave. But he couldn't do that.

He felt frozen in place. John moved forward, his arms outstretched. He wrapped his arms around Dean, and Dean couldn't help himself. He did the same, digging his face into his father's shoulder like he was a kid again. He didn't know how he wanted to feel, and he didn't know how he DID feel. But for just a second, and even if it was only a second, he just wanted to enjoy the embrace of a father he hadn't seen in years.

Dean couldn't tell how long they stayed like that, but it was a long time. Finally, he had to take a step back, and so did John.

John's eyes were teary. It was a weird feeling, seeing his father so uncharacteristically emotional. Sure, it wasn't the first time, but usually it was a sign of something terrible happening. But not now. Now he seemed… happy. "Oh, Dean. It's good to see you, boy."

Dean wanted to say, "You too," but he couldn't get any words out just yet. So he just nodded.

John seemed to wait for a response, but when there obviously wasn't going to be one, he continued. "You're, uh, you're friend Ben contacted me. He said you were, 'in town', I suppose is one way to put it, but you weren't dead."

"Ye-" Dean cleared his throat. "Yeah. I'm on, um… business. With a couple of friends."

"Hunter friends?"

Dean couldn't help but let out a laugh. The Doctor and Castiel were no hunters. He wasn't even sure his dad would believe him if he told him that he was friends with a time travelling alien and an angel. John had seen some weird shit in his day… but nothing like that. "Sort of… it's a long story."

John nodded, knowingly. He smiled, looking Dean up and down. "You've gotten older. You look good."

"Thank you."

"How many… how many years has it been?"

Dean bit his lower lip. "Five years, sir."

John shook his head. "I'm sorry I've been gone. I should have been there for you."

"You were," Dean recalled his father's spirit showing up to save the day in true Winchester fashion, grabbing the yellow-eyed demon just in time to let Dean shoot him down. "When you needed to be."

John nodded, unconvinced. "I've been up here a long time, Dean. Five years I suppose, but it's been much longer for me. I've had a lot of time to think about what I did back on Earth."

"Dad, we don't have to talk about this-"

"Yes, we do. Here, in Heaven… it's like rewatching your greatest hits. I get to enjoy all the good moments in my life, again and again. And at first, that's what I did. You recognize where we are now?"

Dean glanced around at the cabin. "I mean… it looks vaguely familiar."

"It's the cabin where we spent Sam's second birthday." John pointed into the adjoining room, which was empty just a few moments before. But now, suddenly, there were two small figures sitting on the floor. Dean and Sam, at six and two.

Dean's heart seemed to stop at the sight of Sam, so small and adorable. His brown eyes, big and sparkling. His laugh so high-pitched and full of life. Dean would give anything – _anything _– just to hold that little kid in his arms again. Just to hear his laugh, one more time.

Two year old Sam was sitting in six year old Dean's lap, and was holding a little toy truck. Six year old Dean was smiling, laughing; thirty two year old Dean was on the verge of tears.

But with Dean's back turned to his father, John did not notice. So he continued. "This was one of our better moments, I think. Remember? I bought him one of those little personal birthday cakes, and he just dug right in! His whole face was covered in frosting!" John laughed, remembering. "But this wasn't my only memory. Another was that one summer when Sam was 10 and he tried to play football. Not that he was any good. He only played one game – he got pummeled by one the bigger kids on the other team. But afterwards, we went out to celebrate, anyway."

Dean remembered that summer. He drove Sam to ever practice. He was so excited to play. But it turned out that football just wasn't for him. His dad hadn't even gone to the game, but when he heard about what happened, he took them out to eat. That had made Sam more excited than anything else ever could.

"And there were a couple more of his birthdays that I went through. And there were more than a few memories with your mother…"

Dean wondered if he should tell John that he had seen his mother. He decided now was not the time.

"And let me tell you… I loved reliving them. They were the happiest times in my life. They were the only times I felt like I had done something _right_, in a life I felt like I was constantly doing wrong. But you know what I noticed, Dean?"

Dean had pulled himself together enough to turn around to face his dad again. He could still faintly hear the sound of Sam giggling behind him. "What?"

"Where are your birthdays? Where are the big events in your life?" Dean looked down at the ground, not wanting to meet John's eyes. They both knew the answer, but John said it aloud, anyway. "I wasn't there for them, Dean. I don't have happy memories revolving around you because I didn't make them happy. I missed your birthday. I missed Christmas. I didn't give you a chance to play football. You didn't even graduate."

"I didn't want to," Dean tried to argue, even though he didn't know why. It was just a compulsive need to defend his father – even _to_ his father.

"Yes you did. And you should have. You should have had the life of a little kid: playing sports, going to school, being with your family. You didn't have that. And I know that's not exactly a shock to you, but… you should have. And I should have given it to you."

"I… I don't know what to say…"

"You don't have to say anything. I just… I had to get it off my chest. I had to be honest with you, Dean. You deserve that, at least."

Dean felt a crushing weight in his chest. The sound of Sam behind him seemed to be getting louder. It was drowning out all other sounds around him. He couldn't get it out of his head.

John definitely noticed this time. "Dean? Are you okay?"

Dean ran a shaky hand through his hair. "Yeah, well, no. I… things have been hard since you died. The world has changed a lot. A lot of shit has happened." _Understatement of the year._

"I'm sure. But you and your brother have gone through so much together. I know you can handle it-"

"Sam's dead."

The room went silent. John's face was blank. "Dead?"

Dean nodded.

"Is he… up here?"

"No. He's… it's all my fault. It's my fault, dad… and there's nothing I can do to help him."

John turned around, and Dean held his breath, waiting for a reaction.

* * *

_**On a quick note, as I mentioned before, I'm trying to write a book. I'm slowly getting through it, and I'm posting it chapter by chapter on both **_**FictionPress **_**and **_**Booksie. **_**If you guys have the time and patience, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE it if you could stop by one of those sights, and give it a look. Even a comment to let me know how it's going. I would love you guys forever. The book is called**_** You Turn Right, **_**and there's a link to it in my bio. Thanks a bunch!**_


	103. Nowhere

_**100,000 views!**_

_**For those of you who saw, (and especially the guest who let me know) sorry for the mix up on chapters! I had forgotten that I had already posted this specific chapter. But, here's the (actually) new one!**_

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* * *

Castiel watched in horror as the Doctor fell backward and sunk beneath the surface, into the mist. He leapt forward to grab him before he disappeared, but didn't make it in time. The Doctor was gone.

He glanced up at Mara, who had already turned tail and was running off into the distance. The wind was kicking up, again, and seemed to be following her.

Castiel looked down at the ground where the Doctor had gone, and promised silently to return for him. As for right now, his number one priority was getting to Mara, and retrieving what rightfully belonged to Heaven.

He chased after her, quickly gaining ground. Mara noticed this immediately. While still on the move, she let the staff slip out of her fingers, disappearing much like the Doctor had. She then reached into her jacket, pulling out a bright silver gun. It glowed unlike any manmade weapon Castiel had ever seen, but he had little time to wonder about that before she aimed blindingly at him, and shot three bullets in his direction. He easily dodged the one that came close to hitting him, and didn't even blink as the other two shot passed him, missing him by a foot or more. Mara didn't even glance back to see if he had been hit. Castiel let his angel blade slip down his sleeve and he grasped it with his hand.

With a grunt, he threw the blade forward, launching it into the back of her shoulder. Mara gasped out in pain, falling over as she tried to reach for the blade now inches into her skin. Castiel could not reach her in time before she, too, fell forward, and disappeared beyond the mist.

"Damn." He slowed his pace, catching his breath. The swirling wind that had been following Mara evaporated into the air until it could no longer be seen. Castiel turned around, facing a group of NE AVINI behind him. "Where are they? Where did you take them?"

The NE AVINI stared at him, their eyes glowing with all of the power of their souls. A sound close to howling began to grow around him. To anyone else, the sound would be a deafening shriek, rattling in their ears.

But Castiel was not anyone else. He knew every language that ever was in the universe, and this one was no exception. He understood what almost any other being on Earth and beyond could understand.

He nodded, listening. "Then take me there."

* * *

The Doctor had felt a pain like no other, and when he finally came to, again, he knew he was done for.

It felt like a truck had hid him square in the chest. It hurt to move; it hurt to even breathe. He could feel his body aching, but he felt another force, as well. Something within him was getting ready to change – to make the BIG change. His body was preparing to regenerate.

The Doctor's eyes flashed opened. He expected to see the deep red sky above him, but instead all he saw was black. He blinked a few times, wondering if his vision had crapped out on him, but it seemed to be working fine. He was just in complete darkness.

He tried to sit up, but it caused too much pain to radiate through his already broken body. With a groan, he laid back down.

"H… hello?" It was strenuous to speak, but he knew he had too. He couldn't see, and so far he hadn't heard anything. For all he knew, he was dead. Maybe this was what the afterlife was like. How would he know? All he knew for sure was that he had to find someone else – anyone else. "Castiel?"

"Not quite, sweetheart." Mara's patronizing voice rang out. "No Castiel here, as far as I can tell. Can I take a message?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Where are we?"

"How the hell should I know? It's dark as fuck in here. Hold on."

He could hear Mara shuffling around, but he couldn't tell where she was. He grew impatient the longer she took, but eventually, she spoke again. "Ah! Here we go!"

Suddenly, a small, warm light appeared in the corner of the Doctor's eye. It slowly grew larger and larger, giving both of them some sense of where they were.

"We're… nowhere."

All around them was complete darkness. Except it wasn't darkness. It was blackness – blankness – that the light Mara had lit, using one of God's weapons, could not penetrate it. The light enclosed the two of them, but didn't reach any farther than that.

Mara, who was sitting up to the right of the Doctor, pressed her hand against the ground on which she sat. She felt nothing. She couldn't press her hand passed the point of where the ground should be, but there was nothing there. There was no texture, no temperature, no feeling to it.

"Can you feel the ground?" Mara asked, strangely un-antagonistic.

"No," The Doctor admitted.

"So… are we dead?"

"I sure hope not." The Doctor was able to look down at his chest, now, and was surprised to see that there was no physical damage. But he could feel the damage inside him.

Mara looked down at him. "I heard you groaning before. Are you in pain?"

"I can't imagine why I would be."

"Yeah, sorry about that. Trust me, it's nothing personal."

"I'll keep that in mind."

They sat in silence for a while, both of them considering their options separately.

"What are we going to do?" Mara asked, after some time had passed.

"Well, I can't do much of anything in this state." The Doctor glanced over at her. "I can barely move, and just laying here is painful."

"I don't have anything to help you. I'm sorry."

The Doctor shook his head. "I have something I can do. It's actually happening right now, and I'm doing my best to hold it off."

"What is it? Why would you wait, if you're in pain?"

"You wouldn't believe me."

"Does it matter, at this point?"

The Doctor sighed. "I suppose that's true. I… I'm not human, although you may be surprised by looking at me. I'm something called a Time Lord. It's a long story, but the important part is that it allows me to live much longer than humans could. The trick is that whenever I'm close to death – whatever the reason may be – I can regenerate."

"You mean like in Buddhism?"

"That's reincarnation. It's close, but different. See, I'll remember my old life. I remember all my lives. But when I change… I'll still be different. I'll be a different person. So… I'd rather not change unless I have to. But I can only hold back for so long."

"How can you hold it off?"

"I'm dying slow enough. Not that it matters. Soon I'm going to have to let nature run its course."

Suddenly, they both had to cover their eyes as an explosion of light erupted from behind them.


	104. Time Lord of the Rings

_**Thank you to **_**The Best Guest**_** for reviewing.**_

* * *

The burst of light soon dissipated, and left behind was a familiar figure.

Mara groaned. "Ah, the angel is here to rescue you, I see."

Castiel knelt down beside the Doctor. "Doctor, can you hear me?"

The Doctor nodded. "I'm regenerating, Castiel. And when I do, you won't recognize me."

"I'm familiar with your regenerations, yes."

"And Dean won't either. I… I won't even recognize myself. I'll be an entirely different person, and I have no control over what I'm like. And-"

"Doctor, stop." Castiel shushed him. "I know what you're doing. But you don't have to worry about it. I can heal you." Castiel held his hands over the Doctor's chest, hovering just inches above him. The Doctor felt his chest warm, until it was almost fiery hot; yet it was comforting. His whole body felt like he was floating, and yet he wasn't moving at all. All his pain seemed to just seep away.

Castiel pulled away, and the Doctor sat up, slowly. He no longer felt the force of his regeneration present within him. He felt… as good as new. He looked up to Castiel. "Thank you."

"Of course."

As they shared a moment, together, Mara rolled her eyes. "Well, are you going to make heart eyes at each other all day, or are you going to heal my shoulder? You know – the one you launched a sword into?"

Castiel narrowed his eyes, standing up. "Where are the weapons, Mara?"

"You're risking my wellbeing to find your precocious weapons? What kind of angel are you?"

"A desperate one." Castiel answered, simply.

Mara sighed. "Look, I don't have them, okay? Not all of them anyway. I've already dropped most off with my… employer."

"Who's your employer?"

Mara smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"What do you still have left?"

Mara narrowed her eyes. "You're looking for something specific, aren't you? You aren't here to be a hero and retrieve Heaven's stolen goods. You're trying to get a specific one for yourself." Castiel thought it was better to say nothing. "Ok, here's the deal. You heal my shoulder and let me go, and in return I'll give you whatever you are looking for."

"What if you don't have it, and you've already given it away?"

"Oh, just heal her shoulder, Castiel." The Doctor, now healed and sitting up, could visibly see how much pain Mara was in, even though she tried to hide it. The blade was still lodged into her, and she was wincing anytime she moved.

Castiel shot the Doctor a look, but conceded, anyway. "Hold on, this is going to hurt." He pressed one hand on the back of her shoulder, and the other grasped the blade. Without any more warning, he yanked the blade out of her skin, and blood started to gush out.

Mara let out a long moan, biting down on her lower lip. Castiel healed her, and the Doctor watched as the broken skin came together, good as new, and the blood disappeared. It was quite amazing to watch.

Once he was done, Mara ran her hand along her skin, taking a breath of relief. "Good. Thank you."

"We need the Ring of Dispel." Castiel cut right to the point.

"Hmm… the Ring of Dispel, huh? I think I might have that."

"Where?"

Mara narrowed her eyes. "Look, we have a deal here. If I take you to my… stash…. You can only take the Ring. You can't take the opportunity to loot the rest of my stuff."

"You mean the rest of my stuff?"

"Not anymore."

Castiel rolled his eyes. "Look, I need the Ring. I promise I will not touch the rest of the weapons – yet. Trust me, I'll be back."

Mara smiled. "Well, trust me. I'll be long gone by then."

* * *

"You left the arsenal of Heaven in a security deposit box?" Castiel asked, incredulously.

"_Several_ security boxes. What, I wanted them to be secure." Mara searched through her keys for the correct one. "And I'm pretty sure the Ring of Dispel is in this one."

Castiel looked shocked. "How have the angels be thwarted this long? How did they not crack your code? It's so simple!"

"Angel's tend to… overlook the obvious. They assume they're looking for a magical chest somewhere, warded against them and buried beneath the Earth. They best place to hide from Angel's is in plain sight. Aha!" She exclaimed, holding up a key. She unlocked one of the boxes, and opened it. There was only one object inside – the Ring.

The Ring didn't look exactly how the Doctor expected it to. It looked… rather boring. It was a plain silver band – no stones, no design, nothing. He worried that Mara was tricking them somehow, passing off a nonmagical ring as the Ring of Dispel.

But Castiel seemed convinced.

He picked up the Ring, holding it with two hands as he inspected it. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yes," Mara agreed. "It's a shame I never got to use it."

Castiel looked at the Ring, and thought about Sam. Finally, with this Ring, he would be able to save him from Hell, just as he had saved Dean. He would be able to get Dean his brother back, once and for all. The man deserved that, at the very least.

"Thank you, Mara, for helping us." The Doctor nodded to her. "You don't know what this Ring means to us."

"No, I don't. And honestly, I really don't care." Mara brushed off his thanks. "Now, you two really should be going. I have weapons to move, now, thanks to you." Mara already had a place in mind to put them, at least for the time being. She knew of a quaint little self-storage facility that would work just perfectly. Hidden in plain sight, indeed.

"I'll be back, Mara. As soon as I deal with this. And I _will_ find you." Castiel made his warning clear. But he already knew it would be _him_ who found her. She was right – angel's overlooked the simple things, and he wasn't sure he was up for the challenge. Sure, he was a tough match for a demon, or any evil being. But a human? Only another human could get inside Mara's mind. He needed help from a human who was smart enough to find her, and advanced enough to travel the universe to get to her.

He knew exacty who to get.

Jack Harkness.

* * *

Castiel and the Doctor, their deed complete, returned to Heaven. Castiel still had to rescue Sam, but that was for him to do, alone. For now, he had to get the Doctor back to Dean, so he could send him on his way. Dean couldn't know anything about this, of course, but he trusted the Doctor to keep his lips sealed. He had done it before, after all.

Castiel transported them back to the TARDIS.

The angel had still not put on the Ring, much to the Doctor's disappointment. The Doctor was quite interested in what would happen when he did. Would it flare up in an explosion of light and energy? Would the words of its creators appear, etched into the band? Or would it simply remain as it was: inconspicuous to the unknowing eye, and yet more powerful than most could imagine?

Castiel had expected Dean to be waiting by the TARDIS for them, but honestly, he didn't know why he would think such a thing. Dean Winchester, staying put and keeping out of trouble? That certainly wasn't the Dean Castiel knew. Dean would never just sit around like a devoted housewife and wait for him and the Doctor to return. They should consider themselves lucky if he didn't find a way to get himself killed in _Heaven_. "I guess we should find Dean, now, before he gets himself in trouble."

"Trouble, in here? He's probably just wandering around. This place is empty, right?"

"Well, there's Benjamin. This is his Heaven, after all. But he shouldn't be a problem."

The Doctor and Castiel split up to look for him.

The Doctor took his time, taking in the landscape. It was truly beautiful, and the Doctor admired beauty – especially the beauty of another living beings thoughts. According to Castiel, that's all Heaven was. Human's minds bringing together the best thoughts and memories into one place, making their own Heaven come to life.

This particular Heaven was so beautiful, in fact, that he almost ran into someone because he wasn't paying attention. "Whoa there, sorry!"

The man shook his head, but didn't say anything. He didn't look the Doctor in the eye.

"Hello, I'm the Doctor. You must be Benjamin!"

Benjamin nodded. "Hello."

"I'm looking for my friend, Dean. Have you seen him?"

"I met him."

"Do you know where he is?"

"I took him to meet some friends."

The Doctor's eyes widened. "Some… friends? Who?"

"Ellen. Jo. Ash. Mary. John."

The Doctor's breath stopped. "D-did you say John? As I John Winchester? Is Dean with John now?"

"Yes. I was going back for him soon."

"Benjamin, I need to take me to him right now. It's important – he can't stay there. But first we have to find the angel, Castiel.


	105. Just a Memory, Now

_**Thank you to **_**Guest, The Best Guest, **_**and **_**Thiltelles**_** for your reviews! I'm glad to see you guys are liking it!**_

_**Sorry this one is a little shorter, but I promise the next one should be longer!**_

* * *

"I don't understand," Castiel looked even more confused than usual as the Doctor explained where Dean had went. "How did he manage that?"

Benjamin stepped forward from behind the Doctor. "I took him there."

"Dean *asked* you to take him to his father?"

Benjamin shook his head. "He asked me to take him to a woman - Ellen Harvelle." Castiel recognized the name right away. He had liked Ellen, and her daughter Jo. It was a shame what had happened to them. "But they told me about his father, and I took him there, myself."

Castiel frowned. "How did you even get there? Only angels can move freely through Heaven." Benjamin didn't answer. Castiel had heard of humans traversing through Heaven before, but it was incredibly rare. "Thank you for letting us know, Benjamin. I'm sorry for disturbing you - don't worry, we'll take care of Dean, from here."

Benjamin nodded, and began to leave. But after only a few steps, he stopped. Without turning back around, he asked, quietly, "Tell Dean goodbye. I liked him."

"I'll make sure to tell him," The Doctor promised.

Once Benjamin was gone, Castiel turned back to the Doctor. "Doctor, you seem concerned. We know where Dean is, isn't that a good thing?"

The Doctor sighed. "Yes, I suppose it is. I'm just not a fan of John. I'm not sure it's such a good idea that he's with him."

"But he's his father." Castiel was aware of Dean and John's complicated past, but he also know how Dean felt about his father. Surely it would be good for Dean to see him again.

The Doctor didn't think so. He had only met John once before, but he knew enough to know that this encounter would only set Dean back. He was having a rough enough time already without his father intervening. But this business was Dean's, and he didn't know how much Castiel knew. He didn't want to spill Dean's personal life to someone from who he was trying to keep it from. "I know. You're right, Castiel. It's nothing to be worried about. We should get going, though."

Castiel nodded. "Of course, let's go. The faster we get to Dean, the faster I can get to Sam."

Humans who somehow crack the code and can find their way around through the Heavens can only do so by the "back ways", rather than the main roads (aka the axis mundi. Humans can only use this pathway to go through their own Heaven.) It's complicated, but essentially they find certain Heavens by searching algorithmically for someone's lifeform - their energy, their soul.

Each person's Heaven is large, larger than most would imagine. It's a person's good memories stitched together and rolled up into a seemingly seamless experience, where the individual can move from one memory to the next without ever realizing they've moved. When Sam and Dean moved from memory to memory, it was as if the landscape around them changed, but in reality, *they* had moved.

This is why humans, such as Ash or Benjamin, travelled somewhere, they came out in the exact memory that person was living though - because they went to the soul, not the Heaven.

Angels, however, didn't need to search for souls. They simply went where they pleased. So, unlike Benjamin, Castiel teleported right to John Winchester's Heaven. It took much less effort on his part, but it also meant there was no guarantee that they would end up in the same memory as John and Dean.

So instead of a cabin in the woods, Castiel and the Doctor found themselves in a regular, suburban house.

The Doctor did not realize all of this yet. "Dean? Are you there?"

"We may not be deep enough. We'll have to find the axis mundi and get to the next memory." Castiel explained, but the Doctor didn't notice because in the middle of his explanation, a little boy came around the corner.

He seemed to be about three years old. He had raced out of the hallway, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the two strange men standing in his hallway.

"...Dean?" The Doctor said again.

Dean stared at him. "Who are you?"

The Doctor remembered when he first saw Dean - when he wasn't much older than he was, now. The Doctor was younger, then, but by no means was he young. And yet he felt like it. He never felt more youthful than when he was with Rose. Well... not more youthful than he had felt in a long, long time.

But here was Dean, again. Except it wasn't. It was just a memory - the residual images of John's mind.

"Doctor - this isn't him. It's just one of John's memories."

"Why isn't John here?"

"He must be in a different memory. This... child, and anyone else in this house, are not real. They only exist for John; they have no soul or being."

Dean was still staring at them, his question still hanging in the air.

The Doctor glanced back and forth between Castiel and Dean a few times, before kneeling down in front of the kid.

"You don't know me. My name is the Doctor. We're looking for… your dad. Have you seen him?"

Dean looked skeptical. "My dad isn't here right now. He'll be back."

The tone and speech pattern Dean was using was so un-Dean like, it left the Doctor feeling off. He just wanted to get on with it, and find the real Dean. He stood up again. "Alright, Castiel. Let's go. Let's find them."


	106. What Would Your Axis Mundi Be?

_**Thank you to **_**The Best Guest**_** for reviewing. **_

_**Words cannot express what it means to me that you all are still reading this story. I mean, I know lots of people who started to read it have stopped, and new people have started and all that, but just the fact that I get so many views every day is amazing to me. I never thought that anyone would enjoy my writing like that. You guys truly inspire me to write, and write I will. Thank you all for reading, it means the world to me.**_

* * *

"We must find the Axis Mundi. It's the only way to consciously travel through different memories." Castiel was already walking away from the Doctor, searching for something that may lead them to the next memory.

The Doctor looked down at Dean a final time, and then went to follow him. "What does it look like?"

"It's different for different people. It can really be anything. For Dean, I believe it was a road."

"Great. That's rather unhelpful." The Doctor sighed in disappointment. He and Castiel split off to look for the Axis Mundi. The Doctor wandered downstairs, taking note of the pictures going down the wall. There were a couple of John and Mary, looking young and happy. One of Mary and baby Dean, and another of Dean, all by himself. The Doctor smiled softly, seeing their happy faces.

It was the one time in Dean's life the Doctor had never truly experienced, and sadly it was probably his best time. The Doctor could only hope that he had helped Dean in some way, and that Dean had felt that same kind of happiness again, with the Doctor. Everyone deserved to feel that happy – to feel that safe, that loved. Even – especially – Dean.

"Dean?" The Doctor froze at the bottom of the staircase. He didn't recognize the voice, but he could guess who it was. Mary turned the corner, looking around for her son. She stopped when she saw the Doctor.

She and the Doctor locked eyes, and they stared at each other for a few moments. The Doctor wasn't sure what he was supposed to do, so he just stood still. Luckily, this wasn't the real Mary. And this wasn't a real house. So, much how Dean didn't question how he had gotten in, (just questioned _who_ he was,) Mary dismissed him quickly. "Dean! Come down, sweetie," She called again.

The Doctor could hear Dean's steps as he ran to the stairs, and hurried to his mother. "Don't run down the stairs, Dean. You'll hurt yourself." The Doctor moved over to Dean could pass him without problem. When he made it to Mary, she took his hand and led him into the kitchen.

The Doctor continued on his way.

The living room was messy. Toys and socks and dishes were littered carelessly around the room. There were more pictures in frames against the wall. Beside the television was a stand full of cassettes, many of which the Doctor recognized from Dean's old collection. The Doctor also recognized the leather jacket hanging over the back of the sofa. Dean had worn it for many years – although recently he seemed to retire it. The Doctor had seen it as a sign – a good sign – that Dean was letting a little bit more go of his father.

The Doctor had no clue what he was looking for. What would John's Axis Mundi be?

"Come on, Doctor. Think it through," he mumbled to himself, thinking aloud. For Dean, the Axis Mundi was a road, which made sense. He had lived his whole life on the road. Living out of his car was part of who Dean was, and it was part of how he identified himself. "The Axis Mundi is what connects one memory to the next. It's what keeps John going. It should something important to him; something that represents a lot of who he is."

Suddenly, the Doctor stopped. He knew what it was. "Castiel!" The Doctor ran to the stairs, and found the angel at the top of them, looking down.

"What is it, Doctor?"

"The Axis Mundi – if we find it, how do we activate it?"

"By touch. Why, did you find it?"

The Doctor nodded. "It's Dean."

Castiel narrowed his eyes, and then nodded. Of course, it made sense. Dean was what kept John going, day and night. He was in many ways, John's rock. And Dean represent a lot of who John was – the good, and the bad. "Where is he?"

"The kitchen."

Castiel followed the Doctor to the kitchen, where Mary and Dean were standing. The Doctor paused in the archway. "What are you waiting for, Doctor?"

The Doctor shrugged. "I don't know, it's just… weird. We just have to touch him?"

Castiel rolled his eyes – a human gesture he must have learned from Dean, because he did it almost identically. "It's not really him, Doctor, remember?" Instead of waiting any longer, Castiel walked right up to Dean, and put it hand on his shoulder.

Before the Doctor could react at all, he watched the kitchen suddenly snap out of existence. Instead of a kitchen, they were standing in the middle of a diner. "Whoa…" The Doctor had done more than his fair share of travelling through space and time, but never in a blink of an eye like that. It was making his head spin.

Castiel didn't seem to be phased at all. He got right to business. "There they are." He pointed, and the Doctor followed his finger to a booth in the back corner. Two young boys sat in the booth, side by side. Dean and Sam.

Dean must have been about fourteen, judging by the look of him, making Sam ten. Sam was wearing a sports jersey and shorts, a dirty helmet laying at his feet. Dean sat beside him. They had their plates of food in front of them, and there was another, half-eaten, plate as if someone had been sitting across from them; John.

Sam and Dean were giggling, although Dean would hate the Doctor using that word to describe him. Sam's face was dirty from the football practice (or game?) that he had just attended, but it was as bright and full of joy as ever. And Dean was looking at Sammy with that look in his eye that he only ever had when looking at his little brother.

This wasn't quite the same _worriless_ happiness that Dean had before, but it was happy nonetheless. As happy as a fourteen year old in the world of monsters could be.

"Doctor?" The Doctor jumped as Castiel touched his arm. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, yeah… sorry. I was just thinking."

"You always are," Castiel commented, without any hint of humor. "But usually you aren't so quiet about it."

The Doctor shook his head. "It's nothing. I'm just… I'm ready to see the real Dean, again, that's all."

"Agreed."

The Doctor followed Castiel to Dean, and once again, they were whisked away into a new memory.


	107. People Change

_**Whoooaa it hasn't been a month, has it? Noooo… it couldn't have been. **_

_**Anyway, here's an update. Thank you to **_**satoz, Xeraphina Laurentia,**_** and**_** Guest **_**for reviewing. As always, you guys made my friggin' day! Especially satoz! I try really hard to keep to character, even though it's difficult at times. Thanks for making my day!**_

* * *

The Doctor's eyes had to adjust to the darkness in the next memory. He blinked a few times, looking around as everything came into focus. They seemed to be in a cabin of sorts. "Where do you think we are now, Ca-?"

He was interrupted by a voice in the next room. "What did you just say?" It was John, and he sounded... angry. Which was strange. None of his memories should make him anything but happy, maybe a little sad. But if he was angry, that meant...

"Dean!" It was Castiel. The angel ran into the next room where John's voice had come from, and the Doctor followed. When they entered the room, they saw John and Dean, facing each other. Dean looked like he was going to cry, and John looked... blank, for the moment.

Both their heads suddenly shot in Castiel and the Doctor's direction as they ran in. "Cas? Doc? How did you-?" Dean ran a hand over his face, trying to get himself together. The Doctor stepped forward, and pulled the boy into a hug. He had no idea what had happened so far, but if Dean looked the way he had, it couldn't have gone well.

"Dean. Are you okay?" The Doctor pulled away. Dean paused, and then nodded.

John was staring at them in confusion. "Who the hell are you two?" Then his eyes narrowed as the Doctor made eye contact. "Wait a second... I know you, don't I?" The Doctor had gone to see John when he abandoned Dean, and had convinced him to call Dean at the very least. The Doctor hadn't wanted Dean to know about that. He had wanted Dean to think John had did that himself. Now he wasn't so sure.

Luckily, he didn't have to decide how to respond, because Dean, oblivious to their earlier meeting, immediately cut in. "Dad, these are the friends I mentioned earlier, the ones who took me here." Dean was somewhat glad that they had interrupted his conversation with his father, although he was confused at how they found him.

John continued to stare at the Doctor suspiciously. "So these are the 'sort-of' hunters you were talking about?"

"Um... yeah. This is Castiel. He's an Angel. Like literally, one of Heaven's Angels."

John finally took his eyes off the Doctor. "Before I ended up here, I would've said you were full of shit. But yeah... Angels. I've heard of 'em." He didn't mention that he didn't trust angels, either. He hadn't met many up here… but the ones he did meet were pretentious and sketchy. So far he didn't know what to think of Castiel. He may have been a friend of Dean's, but that didn't make him trustworthy. Dean didn't always make the best friends. In fact, it was odd to John that he had made _any_ friends. Dean just wasn't that type.

But people change.

Castiel didn't reply. The Doctor tried to read the expression on his face, but the angel was quite good at hiding his emotion.

"And this is the Doctor. He's, uh…" Dean trailed off, not knowing exactly how to explain the Doctor. How do you describe someone like him? Someone who isn't quite human, even if he looks it. Someone who travels through time and space, and arrives at your door a completely different person than the last time you saw him. Someone who – when dying – changes everything about them and is reborn into someone new. It isnt' easy to explain the Doctor.

And it wasn't easy to explain how he met him, either. If John asked any questions, he may have to reveal how long he had known the Doctor, and why he never told John about him before. It had been a pretty well kept secret of Dean's for a long time. But it wasn't a secret anymore.

But the Doctor, luckily, jumped in to do the explaining himself. "I'm something called a Time Lord. From the planet Gallifrey. You've probably never heard of it – it's quite far from Earth. It also no longer exists. But I do. Funny how these things work out."

"The _planet_ Gallifrey?" John repeated. "You're telling me you're from another planet?"

"We see crazy things every day, Dad," Dean reminded him.\, hoping that he wouldn't press further. "Is it really that unbelievable?"

"I suppose not." John didn't press anymore, and a tense silence fell over the room. The four men stood around in a semi circle, staring at each other. The Doctor and Castiel exchanged a glance. They both knew it was time to go, but weren't sure Dean was ready to leave his father so soon.

"Well, Dean, the Doctor and I have finished what I called him down for. And now it's time for us to go." Castiel spoke for the first time since they found him. He stepped forward, putting himself between Dean and John.

"Hold on, you can't just go," John shook his head. "Not just yet. I need to speak to my son. Alone."

"I'm afraid you can't." The Doctor was glad that Castiel was taking the lead on this one. Castiel turned to face John. John stood much taller than Castiel, but the angel was not about to be intimidated. "Dean cannot stay here. He is needed on Earth, where he belongs."

"Dean belongs with his family. And apparently there's no one else left." There was an obvious, growing anger in John's voice as he spoke, and both Castiel and the Doctor could guess why. He knew about Sam. "I can't just let you take him away until I know what happened to my son. To Sam."

"Guys, just give me a few more minutes, okay?" Dean made eye contact with the Doctor and gave him his best, 'stay out of this' look. But the Doctor was going to do no such thing. "We just need to talk..."

"That's not the way this works," Castiel argued, his back still to Dean. "You shouldn't even be here. If I had known you would wander around the Heavens like it was your own backyard I never would have left you alone." But of course, Castiel should have known something like this would happen. This was Dean Winchester, after all. He couldn't simply be left to his own devices.

"Come on, Cas," Dean tried to look the angel in the eyes, but Castiel was only looking at John. "Don't be a douche. Just do this for me, please."

"Nothing good comes of this, Dean." The Doctor reached out, placing his hand on Dean's shoulder. "You'll see him again, when you end up here. But you need to be on Earth. This isn't your time."

"It should've been." Dean looked down at the ground. "It should've been my time. Not Sam's. And I just… I just need to explain to him why-"

"Dean, _no._" The Doctor stopped him, mid-sentence. "That kind of talk is _exactly_ why you can't be here." The Doctor spun around, angrily. "You see this, John? This is on you. Your youngest sacrificed himself for the greater good. He sacrificed himself to save the world. It's something not even I have ever been able to do. And I'm sorry that you've lost him – but that was his choice to make."

"Doc, come on, stop-"

"It had nothing to do with Dean. It was not his fault. It was not his choice. And he doesn't get that. He doesn't understand that. And you know why? It's because of you, and you know it is."

John was staring at him, his fists clenched at his sides. Dean stepped between the two of them. "Doctor, that's enough. Seriously."

But the Doctor wasn't finished. "John Winchester. Most people don't get the chance to make things right _after_ they die. But the Winchesters aren't most people. Take this opportunity to make things right. Just tell him what you know to be true, deep down. Tell him this isn't his fault."

"Dad, you don't have to." Dean turned to his father. He felt like he was nine again. He felt like he was so small. "I'm sorry about this. We can… we can talk later."

"No," John finally spoke. His fists unclenched, and his face relaxed. He looked to his son, who in his eyes would _always_ be nine, and would always be small. "I do have to say it. Your… friend is right. It's not your fault. I taught you to think you had to sacrifice everything for Sam, because I needed you to when he was little. But I shouldn't have done it. And I shouldn't have let it go on like that. Like I said earlier… I made a lot of mistakes. This is just one more for the pile."

Dean didn't know what to say. He hated talking about these kinds of things – especially with other people in the room. It was strange to hear it from his father, too. Especially something so… kind. "Thanks, Dad..."

"Now go. Go back to where you belong. The job ain't over yet."

Dean nodded. "I will."

* * *

Castiel brought the Doctor and Dean back to the TARDIS. Everyone was silent. No one had anything to say. So they didn't.

The Doctor opened the TARDIS doors. He looked back to Castiel before entering. "Goodbye, Castiel. And… good luck."

Castiel thanked him, knowingly.

Dean went to follow the Doctor, but stopped. "Am I gonna see you again, Cas?"

"Only time will tell," The angel replied.

"Then… thank you. For everything. You've been… a good friend."

"Same to you, Dean. I wish you luck."

"Ditto."

Dean boarded the TARDIS.

Castiel disappeared in the blink of an eye. With Dean found and taken care of, he had two missions on his mind. The first was to find Sam, using the ring. That one was more complicated, but also more pressing. He would take care of that one, first.

But the other would have to be soon afterward. He hadn't recovered the rest of the weapons of Heaven from Mara, and that would be next on his list. After rescuing Sam from the Pit, he would find Jack and hire him to find her.

And that's exactly what he would do. Jack would run off to find her, tracking her down to a smaller, developing planet named Shedir. There, he would run into a much younger Dean (along with Sam, the Doctor, and Donna), who had yet to meet him. When he fails to catch her there, he'll continue chasing her down until he finally finds once more on Earth, where she runs into Dean and Martha on their first date. Together, they would track down her storage container, only to find it's a trap. In the end, he would catch her, and it would all be over.

But Castiel knew none of this, yet. Dean had never told him about his encounters with Mara, so he had no idea how the events would unfold. He also had no way of knowing what would happen when he rescued Sam. But soon, he would.

* * *

Dean sat beside the TARDIS console. It was comforting to be inside the ship once again. But he had a feeling he was about to be kicked off. He knew he couldn't hide from his real life for any longer, and the Doctor knew that, too. "You can take me home, now, Doctor. If you want."

The Doctor stood at his controls. "Are you sure you're ready?"

"No," Dean let out a little laugh. "But I'm as ready as I can be."

The Doctor started up the TARDIS' engine, and typed in the coordinates. "Do you know where you're going?"

Dean nodded. "Where I promised Sam I would go. To Lisa."


End file.
